Laser (dinghy)

Table of contents

1 History 2 Design 3 External Links

History

The Laser is a popular one-design class of small sailing dinghy. It is a singlehanded boat, meaning that it is sailed by one person. The design, by Bruce Kirby, emphasizes simplicity and performance. The prototype of the boat was originally named the "Weekender", but it was officially unveiled as the Laser at the New York Boat Show in 1971. The Laser became an Olympic-class boat in 1996, and a special Olympic edition of the boat was released that year in commemoration.

Design

As a one-design class of sailboat, all Lasers are built to the same specifications. The Laser is 13 feet 10.5 inches (4.2 m) long, with a waterline of 12.5 feet (3.8 m), and is powered by a sail area of 76 square feet (7.1 m²). The hull weight is kept low, at an average of 130 lb (59 kg), to facilitate car-topping. Many enthusiasts have even devised methods of mounting the boat on top of a car single-handedly.

External Links

LaserSailing.com: www.LaserSailing.com