Latest legal Laser tweaks????

Originally posted by iiitick What I just cannot understand is why anyone sub-elleven stone prefers to sail a Laser and why the RYA does not see the need for a boys/girls boat with pretensions to modernity but sticks them in 4.7's.

Edited by Chris 249 - 23 Jun 14 at 12:36am

Originally posted by maxibuddah Originally posted by Chris 249   Having run a few nationals I'm fairly sure that they just want to be able to identify you on the finish and results sheets, and they also want to encourage people to have the proper numbers by telling them that there is no advantage in not doing so. Those who spend their hard-earned holidays running races so that other people can have fun are surely entitled to encourage people to have the right numbers when it makes the job of finishes and results easier? So what happens then if you turn up with a really really antique laser then?

Hi Chris

This is a general 'forum' ... not a closed CA paid up members debate !  Nobody is submitting formal proposals or presenting papers for peer review here either  ... simply the wrong place.  If people do or some think nobody else should put up 'radical' and informal views it is hardly surprising when they find the environment a bit jocular.  We do appreciate that they might like a more 'serious' debate about class proposals but really that is for others elsewhere anyway - design rights holders, builders, owners, CA etc etc.   However this is a general 'dinghy development' forum and so you will find robust and challenging dialogue and views here often.

So maybe the message should be 'Lighten up buddy' !  Treat the contributions as of interest but maybe not too seriously.  Nobody is forcing change on the Laser here - all that is simply happening is exactly the sort of sailing club bar debate that happens every weekend and in a great many locations.   If 'proper' or specific 'Laser change' debate was really possible or more critically we really thought changes beyond 'knot-tying' semantics was likely, within say a decade or two, we might try an alternative approach.

Briefly - my own 'serious' view is perhaps shared with the majority -  little of consequence Laser change wise is about any time soon.  So I'm really quite happy to leave the remaining dialogue to current Laser types ...   And I sincerely hope they continue to enjoy the boat.      

Mike L.


Edited by blaze720 - 22 Jun 14 at 4:08pm

Originally posted by alanms You are right that the "RS Aero poses a major threat" I have had a trial sail and I was so impressed that I placed an order. It is a quantum leap ahead of the Laser as you might expect from a modern design. The Laser is far from dead and there may be some confusion but, before you write off the Aero, have a sail in it and decide for yourself.

Not having had 'the pleasure' I can't comment about the Aero, but as far as it being a 'major threat' to the Laser, that I'm afraid is impossible. Until it has been around for a good many years, with hundreds of second hand boats and a truly household name, which is unlikely to ever be equalled in public perception, I can't see it.
This Sunday we had about 20 odd boats and crews out with a good percentage of Lasers and I doubt any of them will even have heard of the Aero, in two weeks time a few of them will have heard of the D Zero after their demo, but that will come and go, maybe a couple will stick but it'll be another year or two before the odd Aero turns up and unless it comes in good hands and manages to get even close to our Laser Hot shots it'll be forgotten.
I hope it gains traction, everything I've criticised about dinghy sailing all this time has been addressed in that boat, but they need to turn the 'on' switch up on the production line, there should have been dozens available now, for this summer, by next month it'll be too late for the casual adult market, fine they'll be at the Southampton Boat Show, but another year will have passed, another year where more Lasers will get sold because they are there, easily available for the newcomer that clubs like us are trying to attract, and so it'll carry on, they are such an easy route to get members to join, buy it now, sail it tomorrow in company, no boat, no amount of marketing is going to challenge that, the only thing that challenges Lasers dominance is Laser themselves and the seemingly anal t**ts they surround themselves with on the organisational front.

Edited by iGRF - 23 Jun 14 at 10:32am

iGRF has said it all.