Entries in the 2017 Australian Laser Championships, which will be held at Adelaide Sailing Club from December 28 to January 4, have been rolling in steadily as the December 1 entry deadline approaches.

All prospective entrants should click HERE to enter and avoid the $100 late fee that will come into effect after 4.30pm ACDT on December 1.

To date, 133 boats are entered across the three rig categories, with the radial rig division accounting for 62 entrants, the 4.7 rig having 38 entrants to date and the standard rig division having 33 entrants.

All Laser districts in Australia are represented, with nine entrants so far coming from overseas at this stage. Overseas entries have been received from the Brazil, Great Britain, Japan, Thailand, Ireland and Tanzania, which is great for the event.

World number 10 (and former world number 1) Matthew Wearn headlines the entrants in the standard rig division.

Wearn pushed Australia’s Tom Burton to the wire during the Olympic selection period with Burton getting the nod in a close call and then going on to win a gold medals for Australia in the Laser class at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Wearn is a hot prospect for Tokyo 2020 and has already competed on the new Olympic course and will be looking to the Adelaide Laser Nationals to cement his place at the top of the pack chasing Burton.

World number two Alison Young from Great Britain will head to Adelaide as the highest ranked Laser Radial sailor in the Women’s division. Young, who finished eighth in the 2016 Rio Olympics in the Radial will be pushed hard by the sailor who she just beat at Rio, world number 16, Australia’s Ashley Stoddart.

Stoddart finished fourth in the women’s division of the 2010 Australian Laser Championships, which were also held at Adelaide Sailing Club.

Perth youngster Finn O’Dea is the highest ranked entrant so far in the 4.7 division, having recently finished 20th at the 2016 Laser 4.7 World Championship in Kiel, Germany in August.

Australia had a large team of 16 sailors competing at the event in Kiel, supported by Australian Sailing Team youth coaches, Luke Elliott and Tristan Brown.

For more information, head to the event website www.adelaidelasernationals2017.com