ILCA drop LPE as a builder

Yes, Masters. Mark's Olympic days were back in the 70s. But even a Masters worlds is several steps above club racing.

 You're going to have to beat a few masters world champions to win a stokes bay club race in the laser 

Yeah, a boat built by LP without a plaque, such as their recently announced training Lasers or what they build when they run out of plaques will not be an International Laser.

To say "ah well its a Laser it should be allowed in" - well OK, how about a Laser 2000? Both are called Laser, neither is an International Laser class dinghy.

But realistically I can't see clubs that accept replica sails refusing replica Lasers. What are you going to do when the first person shows up with one? ~It doesn't have to be a handicap fleet. All it needs is for the SIs to say something like:
"Laser" Race. This race is open to International Laser Class Dinghies and other boats with hulls, spars, sails and other equipment that are substantially similar to the Int Laser."

Edited by JimC - 24 Apr 19 at 4:56pm

I would still question who will buy one? Almost anybody wanting a new boat is probably racing at a high level so would not but a non-class legal boat and vanishingly few club only sailors will be in the market for a brand new boat.

Not sure I can see anyone privately buying either boat new until this is sorted. However I can see sailing centres carrying on buying "training" Lasers and simply being pleased there is a price drop.

If one came into a club, would anyone check it had the right sticker? Looks like a Laser, sails like a Laser, so I doubt many would care, especially where Laser results are extracted from a handicap fleet.