'Fake/Training' Laser Sails

I have a feeling that post may be a bit like a joke only different ...

You were right, it was completely different to a joke.

A lot of clubs allow the non-authentic laser sails. Used to be the case with Topper sails too, until Topper dropped the price of the proper sails so much it wasn't worth any sailmaker trying to compete. I had a look at one of the new Topper sails the other day and it was of APPALLING quality. The cloth was really soft and stretchy (I'm not sure it can actually have been designed as sailcloth), the edges of the panels/patches/leech tabling were fraying badly, the seams were of uneven width along their length, ranging from 9mm to about 18mm, and the stitching was all wavy. Aparrently, the old-style Topper sails are now in big demand, so if you've got an unused one tucked away somewhere, it could be worth something!

Can't see Laser doing this though, so I guess sailmakers here will be able to carry on selling cheaper copies. The cloth the proper Laser sails are made from is (or used to be) Contender 3.8oz Polypreg, which is very good cloth and ideal for the job. Any sailmaker can get hold of this, so the type of cloth used isn't really an issue. There is no seam shape in a Laser sail apart from in the bottom seam and the vertical seam above the foot. Any sailmaker making "fake" Laser sails will just whack the seams together flat too, because it's quicker and easier, and also probably the right thing to do, so this won't be any different either.

As far as I can see, it would be difficult to make any improvements in the cloth or the shape. All the sailmaker has to do is copy the luff curve (which is easy) and the shape in the bottom seams. (easy). Any sailmaker copying Laser sails has to be selling them for considerably less than an official sail, so it's not worth them using any other cloth or trying to make any improvements, as they are building to a price.

I can't see why any club should have an issue with them being used for club racing.

The conclusion seems to be

• that the training sails are near-as-damn-it identical from a performance point of view:
  
• that it would be difficult to make anything faster without noticeably altering the shape or materials.

Add the facts that laser have in the past themselves changed the fabric (and for radials, the cut too) resulting in a range of sail designs competing at once anyway.

Why don't the class association just licence three or four sailmakers to make "official" sails within set shape limits?