ILCA drop LPE as a builder

   Have just seen a blog saying LPE have had their contract to build Laser terminated because they would not let the ILCA check the boats construction in the factory. If this is correct , this is going to open a huge can of worms. Can anyone confirm this? And if it is true, does anyone have any info of how this impasse developed? 

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zeon Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Far too distracted from work Joined: 20 Aug 16 Online Status: Offline Posts: 316	Post Options Post Reply Quote zeon Report Post Quote Reply Topic: ILCA drop LPE as a builder Posted: 28 Mar 19 at 1:38am
	Have just seen a blog saying LPE have had their contract to build Laser terminated because they would not let the ILCA check the boats construction in the factory. If this is correct , this is going to open a huge can of worms. Can anyone confirm this? And if it is true, does anyone have any info of how this impasse developed?

JimC Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 17 May 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 6625	Post Options Post Reply Quote JimC Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 28 Mar 19 at 6:18am
	https://www.laserinternational.org/blog/2019/03/27/announcement-regarding-ilca-approved-builders/

JimC Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 17 May 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 6625	Post Options Post Reply Quote JimC Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 28 Mar 19 at 6:22am
	See also https://www.laserinternational.org/blog/2019/01/22/announcement-from-ilca/

Guests Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Guest Group	Post Options Post Reply Quote Guests Quote Reply Posted: 28 Mar 19 at 6:36am
	Isn’t that like the Taylor Swift Fan Club banning Taylor Swift from their/her gigs? I understand that, as a members club, ILCA can chose who or what is entitled to membership, but Rastegar has a legal right to build a boat iaw the Laser construction manual and, importantly, call it a Laser. No one else in Europe or North America does as far as I understand it. Seems a curious way to behave for a class wanting to retain Olympic status. Presumably ILCA felt they had no choice?

JimC Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 17 May 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 6625	Post Options Post Reply Quote JimC Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 28 Mar 19 at 7:18am
	I think its a lot more complicated than that Peaky. Velum (a separate company to LP, but apparently basically under the same ownership) own the Laser Trademark and are definitely the only people entitled to license the name Laser to boats built in Europe or North America. There's no doubt about that. What the rest of the legal rights are is bound up in a mesh of overlapping contracts which were appear to have been intended to stop any one party exiting the agreement and still build the boats. Maybe LP don't want to build boats using the Laser construction manual. Its hard to fathom the motivation, but the second link seems to suggest that LP think everyone is out to get them. This may not be far from the truth, but its all very interesting after ILCA apparently nailed its colours to the LP mast in the Kirby dispute. Edited by JimC - 28 Mar 19 at 7:19am

bustinben Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Far too distracted from work Joined: 15 Oct 06 Online Status: Offline Posts: 288	Post Options Post Reply Quote bustinben Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 28 Mar 19 at 8:31am
	There may be private contracts between various parties in addition but the basic structure that makes the laser class is written out in the class rules: Fundamental Rule: The Laser shall be raced in accordance with these Rules, with only the hull, equipment, fittings, spars, sail and battens manufactured by a World Sailing and International Laser Class Association (ILCA) approved builder in strict adherence to the Laser design specification (known as the Construction Manual) which is registered with World Sailing. Definition of Builder: A Builder is a manufacturer that has the rights to use a Laser trademark, is manufacturing the hull, equipment, fittings, spars, sails and battens in strict adherence to the Construction Manual, and has been approved as a Laser Builder by each of World Sailing and the International Laser Class Association. So it appears that ILCA do have the right to stick the knife in to LPE (hooray!) but appointing new builders would be problematic unless they change that definition and de-brand the boats in the regions where LPE hold the trademark. As for the reasoning behind it, who knows. What I can say is that LPE do not produce consistent, identical, high quality boats, and that they're a terrible company to deal with as a customer/sailor. Edited by bustinben - 28 Mar 19 at 8:34am

sargesail Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 14 Jan 06 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 1456	Post Options Post Reply Quote sargesail Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 28 Mar 19 at 10:16am
	I wonder if the timing is to do with the new rigs though?

iGRF Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 07 Mar 11 Location: Hythe Online Status: Offline Posts: 6496	Post Options Post Reply Quote iGRF Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 28 Mar 19 at 10:23am

	Snow Equipment Deals New Core Kite website

davidyacht Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 29 Mar 05 Online Status: Offline Posts: 1330	Post Options Post Reply Quote davidyacht Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 28 Mar 19 at 12:32pm
	Or something that showed up at the single hander trials?
	Happily living in the past

jeffers Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 29 Mar 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 3048	Post Options Post Reply Quote jeffers Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 28 Mar 19 at 2:02pm
	I am just thinking 'Here we go again'.....
	Paul ---------------------- D-Zero GBR 74