Laser: The world’s most popular adult & youth racing class.
The Laser is a single-handed racing dinghy. The biggest attraction of the Laser dinghy is that is protected by the One Design class rules, which means that no changes are allowed to the boat unless they are specifically permitted in the rules. So in theory all Laser boats are the same whether they are brand new or 10 years old, making it the sailor that wins the race, not the boat. The Laser is a challenging boat that rewards athleticism, subtle steering and trimming techniques, as well as tactical excellence. It is a singlehanded Olympic class boat, also sailed at club, national and international levels. With over 200,000 boats in 140 countries, it is clearly the world’s most popular adult and youth racing sailboat.
Laser: No fuss, just sailing.
One of the reasons the Laser is so popular the boat’s sheer simplicity. The two-part free-standing mast and sleeved sail make the boat easy to rig and its lightweight hull make it easy to carry and cartop.
Laser: A boat for life
The Laser Formula combines 1 hull with three different rigs: Standard, Radial and 4.7. Young sailors starting out in the 4.7 can move up in rigs as they grow physically and develop tactically, without the need to splash out on a completely new boat. The one-design protection also means that your Laser will never be outdated, which explains why Lasers have such a high resale value.
Finally, a strong class association which actively promotes and drives forward Laser sailing around the globe makes mass production of the Laser viable, keeping the cost of the boats and spares relatively low.
For detailed measurement diagrams, please see the ILCA By-Law, page 43 - 47