Dinghy development: Sailboats now selling Laser boats

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Sailboats now selling Laser boats

Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: Dinghy classes
Forum Name: Dinghy development
Forum Discription: The latest moves in the dinghy market
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=10672
Printed Date: 19 Jul 25 at 3:03am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.665y - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: Sailboats now selling Laser boats

Posted By: RichTea
Subject: Sailboats now selling Laser boats
Date Posted: 30 Jan 13 at 9:47pm

I'm surprised no press release here but it appears Sailboats.co.uk are now selling Laser boats

http://sailingdinghies.apolloduck.co.uk/feature.phtml?id=288533 - http://sailingdinghies.apolloduck.co.uk/feature.phtml?id=288533

Why the change?

Replies:

Posted By: iGRF
Date Posted: 31 Jan 13 at 9:05am

Hmm, I've never come across them before and having a gander at their website it looks like quite a commercial operation, then I noticed they carry lots of Laser spares, for every bloody Laser but mine - shame that could have been quite a good find.

Turns out after a bit of investigation they used to be called Northampton sailboats and appear to have always sold Laser stuff, so I wonder just why it is the EPS seems to have vanished so completely off the face of the commercial earth.

Posted By: sandgrounder
Date Posted: 31 Jan 13 at 9:20am

Nothing new there - I purchased a new Laser from them in 1984, Laser 113722

Posted By: blaze720
Date Posted: 31 Jan 13 at 10:10am

Greame

Northampton are one of the very best out there for mail order parts ... welll stocked, fast and efficient. If you need to mail order give them a try ...

Mike L.

Posted By: Roger
Date Posted: 31 Jan 13 at 10:41am

Unless I'm mistaken, aren't Sailboats, Speed Sails and Purple Marine all under the same ownership anyway, and all 2 are Laser boat or spares stockists.

Posted By: Xpletive
Date Posted: 31 Jan 13 at 12:05pm

Originally posted by Roger

Unless I'm mistaken, aren't Sailboats, Speed Sails and Purple Marine all under the same ownership anyway, and all 2 are Laser boat or spares stockists.

That's right, they are all linked. Been using Sailboats for years & always found them very reliable.

Posted By: iGRF
Date Posted: 31 Jan 13 at 1:01pm

Then if that is the case, why no spares support for the EPS I wonder. You can buy stuff for all sorts of old dross yet something as recent as this has no support whatsoever, even we used to hold spares of boards going back twenty years and no longer being sold.

Posted By: sargesail
Date Posted: 31 Jan 13 at 1:18pm

That'll be an issue with the original SMOD builder. To small a population of users for anyone to hold unique parts.

Posted By: iGRF
Date Posted: 31 Jan 13 at 4:10pm

SMOD builder? What's that got to do with anything, this is a brand issue from a famous name brand that launched a product, and failed to follow through. So why should anyone believe they will continue to follow through with the rest of the crap they make, given this boat was the only one worth a damn and their dealers are now tarnished with that image imv so should give the entire brand up, it's not as if it's the only case, 3000,4000,5000,Vortex need I continue?

Posted By: L123456
Date Posted: 31 Jan 13 at 4:15pm

Originally posted by iGRF

Then if that is the case, why no spares support for the EPS I wonder. You can buy stuff for all sorts of old dross

There is dross ... and then there is the EPS ... have you not worked it out yet?

Posted By: tick
Date Posted: 31 Jan 13 at 5:48pm

Hummmm......it seems to me that if there is no boat supplier, no parts supplier, no class association and few boats sailing, there is no class. If there is no class and there are no rules then you can do as you wish without all those silly restrictions. I await spectacular developments.

Posted By: winging it
Date Posted: 31 Jan 13 at 5:59pm

Originally posted by tick

Hummmm......it seems to me that if there is no boat supplier, no parts supplier, no class association and few boats sailing, there is no class. If there is no class and there are no rules then you can do as you wish without all those silly restrictions. I await spectacular developments.

ooh, it should also make you cvrda eligible as a Lost Class! hope you're coming to the nationals greame, it will be good to meet you at last!

doubtless Rupert will be along to disillusion me, but I cna live in hope.....

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the same, but different...

Posted By: winging it
Date Posted: 31 Jan 13 at 6:00pm

Originally posted by iGRF

SMOD builder? What's that got to do with anything, this is a brand issue from a famous name brand that launched a product, and failed to follow through. So why should anyone believe they will continue to follow through with the rest of the crap they make, given this boat was the only one worth a damn and their dealers are now tarnished with that image imv so should give the entire brand up, it's not as if it's the only case, 3000,4000,5000,Vortex need I continue?

you forgot 2000, though that one's not so bad and has therefore been salvaged by RS.

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the same, but different...

Posted By: sargesail
Date Posted: 31 Jan 13 at 6:18pm

Originally posted by winging it

you forgot 2000, though that one's not so bad and has therefore been salvaged by RS.

Yep has a very active CA, with an active fleet, and a large after sales market. And is a boat which a wide range of weights and abilities can come together on the same race course.

Posted By: Rupert
Date Posted: 31 Jan 13 at 6:51pm

Yep, sorry Nessa, not only does the EPS have a CA, but it was designed after 1985, so doesn't get to come and play. I think it would feel out of place anyway - what is needed is an association for all those failed 90's classes which are bumping along the bottom...

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Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686

Posted By: getafix
Date Posted: 31 Jan 13 at 7:00pm

Originally posted by winging it

Hide the matches ...

Posted By: iGRF
Date Posted: 31 Jan 13 at 7:23pm

Ha the EPS at a C VD RA meeting (i assume VD doesnt have the same connotation of my youth).
It would be fun, fitted with a flame thrower and woodworm filled torpedo device i have on the drawing board.

Back to Laser, is there a Mr Laser in the uk you could even ring up and reason with, how would the 2000 have fetched up with RS, somebody there must have dumped all the spares and bits with somebody if not a dealer

Posted By: laser47
Date Posted: 31 Jan 13 at 7:30pm

Sailboats is that Mr Laser now isn't it?

Posted By: Bootscooter
Date Posted: 31 Jan 13 at 7:35pm

Was the EPS built by White?

Posted By: Rupert
Date Posted: 31 Jan 13 at 7:58pm

Have you asked the EPS CA about spares, GRF/ Lynall boats had a supply of stuff before they went under, and I think either John or Ivor at Whitefriars know what happened to it all.

As if there was a VD in CVRDA, your post would make more sense. Not much more, mind.

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Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686

Posted By: sargesail
Date Posted: 31 Jan 13 at 9:02pm

Originally posted by iGRF

Ha the EPS at a C VD RA meeting (i assume VD doesnt have the same connotation of my youth).
It would be fun, fitted with a flame thrower and woodworm filled torpedo device i have on the drawing board.

Back to Laser, is there a Mr Laser in the uk you could even ring up and reason with, how would the 2000 have fetched up with RS, somebody there must have dumped all the spares and bits with somebody if not a dealer

LPE fire saled them on the 1 Dec! And sold spares to institutional customers first.

Clearly treatment of the EPS was a sign of things to come with SB20 etc etc.

Posted By: Rupert
Date Posted: 31 Jan 13 at 9:51pm

No LPE at the dinghy show by the look of it, either.

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Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686

Posted By: RichTea
Date Posted: 31 Jan 13 at 10:09pm

LPE were on the Purple Marine stand last year, so if their is a PM or Sailboats stand, that's where they will be