RS aero

Ah ... I see ... will they soon have a 400 boat masters worlds as well?

As for weight as someone who has had more lasers than I care to remember over a long period and yes even weighed them and dried them out, they are made from glass and on the sea in particular, they do gain weight and yes they do go soft eventually. I have never had one that I could weigh that was right down to weight and my last one was 3.9 kg over when new. You are welcome to disagree, but polyester boats absorb weight over a period and there are plenty on here far more qualified than me who will confirm that. So the comment is completely "on". If you want to big up the laser you can start a thread to do that, apart from the fact these threads are about developments and its 40 years too late..

Last time I looked 55 points was quite a bit faster, perhaps I'll accept that a supernova at 1073 is 'Similar' to a Laser at 1087, but then again I always found the Nova faster round a course. 

In context the 9 is 'similar' to a Blaze on handicap and if you think a Blaze and a Laser are similar round a course in reasonable breeze then think again.

The aero and for that matter the Dzero are certainly very 'similar' around a course as the sail juice figures will bear out, but they are also both quicker and nicer to sail than a Laser. 

If you want feedback from aero owners then we will happily give it. If you don't believe it then go get in a boat and try it for yourself before sledging on a subject about which you have no direct knowledge. 

And again if you don't think that a 15% less weight (your calc, I think its more) makes no difference off wind, then perhaps you might let all those builders striving to get the odd kilo here and there out of not only dinghies but keelboats, your secret so they can stop wasting all that effort. As for having as much ballast as possible moveable making no difference to boat speed around a course, then well again, all these designers must be wasting so much time.

If you are experiencing notably closer racing then that's great.  But it could be for a number of factors, one not least being that a certain class rep / unbiased boat reviewer is driving forward a decent training programme and that 'new boat shine' means you're all giving it a bit more beans this year compared to floating around in handicap dross....  

I for one am really, really impressed that 20 of you have the means and willpower to put aside possible personal preferences in favour of common objectives, that it worth its weight in gold when it comes to forum contribution alone.

But if there's one thing I think we could all learn from the 100 launch it's that hype might sell, but it doesn't last and I wouldn't knock the Laser- it is after all the very business model RS appear to be emulating with this product launch.  

I can assure you that after 4 pints on boon dongle at a friends party on Saturday night I was so far from 'on the case' on Sunday that I would have been much better last year

It went a bit like this .... Launch..... damn, haven't routed the Halyard tail properly ... up on the deck and do it whilst floating around mid river trying not to fall in..... back to the cockpit and sheet in.......damn, haven't even attached the downhaul .... back on the deck, nearly fall in......back to the cockpit and sheet in. hear the 5 minute gun, can't see flags....... right two minutes to go time to get back to the start - hold on why are those spinnakers up (downwind start) ...oh damn....... and on it went.....