Monday Laser Rant

Originally posted by JimC I think what makes a good boat is really fairly readily definable - A good boat is one that makes you want to get out of a warm bed on a cold morning to go sailing. The actual list of characteristics that make for that are going to be different for everyone, and why not?

Not had to put that to the test, as our Laser racing is Afternoons and evenings!
:-)

Why not indeed, absolutely.   

I know you read the rest of my post getafix - so you know exactly what I meant. For some people, you clearly, your list is most important. For lots of others you miss out the most important factor of them all. I recognise that different people have different views on what makes a good boat - you apparently don't.

Originally posted by PeterG It also depends on what you regard as making a "good boat"...

oh, you know, the half dozen alternatives already listed in this thread with <better> sorted foils, better <actually adjustable> rigs, lighter hulls, more modern materials, nicer longer-lasting sails... that kind of stuff

It also depends on what you regard as making a "good boat". People will have different views about what matters, What matters to me and many others, probably above all else, is the quality and availability of good fleet racing. If I can race like for like with a decent number of like minded others that's what I'm looking for. Issues about rudders, 60's designs, no halyard or whatever really don't matter much against that for me. Clearly there are many here who are happy to put up with the irritations of handicap racing and worry much more about the details of the boat, but I suspect that it will be a very long time before any other class can offer the depth of class racing around the country at around the £1000 mark. We will have lots more rants in the meantime, but people will go on buying cheap lasers and enjoying sailing them against others all round the country for a very long time yet.