Laser Nationals, 26 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=11596
Printed Date: 12 Jul 25 at 3:13pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.665y - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Laser Nationals, 26 boats !!!
Posted By: 2547
Subject: Laser Nationals, 26 boats !!!
Date Posted: 12 Aug 14 at 1:28pm
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They used to get hundreds in the 80s. |
Replies:
Posted By: GarethT
Date Posted: 12 Aug 14 at 1:36pm
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I think there's been a number of recent internationals, so maybe people are giving it a miss.
Plus the long drive to Largs may put some off. |
Posted By: jeffers
Date Posted: 12 Aug 14 at 1:40pm
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Over the last few years the Laser nationals have not had many entrants at all. the Radial nationals on the other hand has many more...... ------------- Paul ---------------------- D-Zero GBR 74 |
Posted By: Chris 249
Date Posted: 12 Aug 14 at 11:18pm
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Don't forget to add in the 40-50+ who do the Masters Nationals in the big rigs instead. That took the fleet to over 100 last year, which would have put it in the top 5 of all classes. When you add in the Radials, the class has grown at nationals levels in most major English-speaking countries. The idea of widening the boat's appeal by putting emphasis on Youth, Women and Masters seems to be a successful example of changing a class' "software" while making only minor changes to the "hardware".
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Posted By: Happilyover40
Date Posted: 13 Aug 14 at 9:16am
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If you are away for a week what difference does an extra hours drive make? For daughter its great  back home every night rather than driving 8-10 hours for a weekend regatta and then being cancelled due to no /too much wind. |
Posted By: JimC
Date Posted: 13 Aug 14 at 9:18am
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I wonder if they'd get more boats at the full rig Nationals if they didn't share it with the now youth dominated Radial class. I'm not sure I'd care to do an event with so many under 21s round the dinghy park. Nothing wrong with youth events, but its undeniable that they have a different atmosphere.
As you say Chris, the actual total entry for Laser championships is healthy enough, but what ought to be the gold category gets a very poor turnout. |
Posted By: 2547
Date Posted: 13 Aug 14 at 9:31am
That is a separate event ... the Laser is clearly a popular platform but all these different rig and age categories has left what was the main event a shadow of its former self. The Laser nationals used to be perhaps THE most prestigious nationals to win with fleets of 300 ... now it is little more than an open meeting.
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Posted By: jeffers
Date Posted: 13 Aug 14 at 10:10am
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We get more boats than that for our club open and Hunts is only a small lake (the full rig fleet I am talking about). A lot of Open circuit stalwarts have recently switched classes though so they are missing from the circuit where they may have attended the nationals. ------------- Paul ---------------------- D-Zero GBR 74 |
Posted By: iiitick
Date Posted: 13 Aug 14 at 10:52am
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I have looked at these figures. 24 full rig, 86 radial, 40 4.7. 150 boats in all. Not a bad 'hull' count. The bulk of the entry are in Radial and 4.7 totaling 126 hulls. Many of these sailors are female or youth or both except experienced lightweight helms like Jon Emmet. Evidently there is a need for less powerful rigs so that the Nations youth can go sailing......Can you see which way this is going? Why are they not sailing a boat which is designed for lightweights rather than a flappy cut down rig thing with no proper controls? Byte C2 Nationals at Sailfest August 23-24.....what fun it will be!
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Posted By: Bootscooter
Date Posted: 13 Aug 14 at 1:34pm
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This years' Std Fleet looks to be about 95% Youth also.... probably because many of the Adult sailors have decided not to swallow the cost of heading all the way to Largs and still then risking the infamous lack of breeze (not appeared this week, thankfully).
That said, in previous years a significant number of the Std fleet at the Nats was made up of the fathers of the youth sailors taking part in 4.7s and Radials - doesn't seem to be the case this year... As a more general observation, at our club there doesn't seem to be many 20somethings sailing Lasers... most in the fleet are 40+ with a number of Yoofs, but the 20somethings seem to grow out of the lasers and get into other boats like RS700s, RS800s, etc. So while Nats numbers remain healthy, could this be the beginning of the end for the Laser as a broad-brush class, with participation polarised to just the Yoof and Masters ends of the spectrum? ------------- |
Posted By: jeffers
Date Posted: 13 Aug 14 at 1:51pm
Because the Byte does not have critical mass anywhere in the UK and the Laser will grown with them with just the cost of a new rig as opposed to a whole new boat with the byte. ------------- Paul ---------------------- D-Zero GBR 74 |
Posted By: GarethT
Date Posted: 13 Aug 14 at 1:52pm
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I don't think that age spread is anything new for the laser.
As I said earlier, all the top guys (youth and Olympic squads) have been racing elsewhere in the last few weeks, so probably didn't have a trip to Largs high on their 2014 bucket list. Without any numbers to back it up, it has always felt that events I've been to at Largs have had lower numbers than the equivalent events on the south coast in adjacent years. |
Posted By: iiitick
Date Posted: 13 Aug 14 at 1:58pm
| Perhaps you are right Bootscooter about 'broad brush classes'. It seems Cameron is performing quite well at Largs in a Laser and has chosen a Finn for Sailfest. These facts would rule him out of a Byte but I feel you should introduce us to Miss Tweedle.......... |
Posted By: GarethT
Date Posted: 13 Aug 14 at 2:02pm
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Is that what they call 'grooming'?
;-) |
Posted By: iiitick
Date Posted: 13 Aug 14 at 2:05pm
If your'e not too fat Gareth I'll groom you as well!
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Posted By: GarethT
Date Posted: 13 Aug 14 at 2:12pm
Far too big and hairy I'm afraid. I probably need shearing rather than grooming. |
Posted By: Bootscooter
Date Posted: 13 Aug 14 at 2:13pm
Haha - just picturing Gareth in a Byte! 
Little Miss did have a go in Er-Indoors' boat when it was for sale last year(?) but she didn't really like it.... weight was right but she felt too tall for it (she doesn't really do "change"). Have a chat with her at SailFest, but I think I've just about persuaded her that with the little sailing she does now, she should think of changing the Laser for a Dart 15 - more speed, more comfort and the ability to take a mate out with her when she fancies it.  ------------- |
Posted By: Bootscooter
Date Posted: 13 Aug 14 at 2:14pm
HAHAHA - in bits here now! ------------- |
Posted By: bustinben
Date Posted: 13 Aug 14 at 8:46pm
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It's simple really - falls in the middle of the international calendar and it's in largs. Nobody who's spend the last 3 months trekking around europe on the circuit is going to bother, and the club sailors don't do it because they remember what it's like when the people who trek around the international circuit do bother. Also master's nationals was just the other week. Radial fleet size is healthy and includes almost none of the squad/circuit trekkers. The fact is, if you want to prove yourself you go to the qualifiers not the nationals. That's where the competition is.
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Posted By: Bootscooter
Date Posted: 13 Aug 14 at 8:51pm
Spot on  ------------- |
Posted By: rb_stretch
Date Posted: 13 Aug 14 at 10:59pm
| In our club Lasers are ominously close to loosing their own starts. Even some of the Laser sailors themselves want to join other starts. |