Why does the Laser exist?

I'm under lots of pressure to sail a Laser, we have a good fleet now at Hythe and they're all good sailors. I'm probably the worse actual sailor from a technical boat handling point of view in both clubs I sail at (yet have half decent tactical racing skills that keep me in the game), on the sea and the lake, yet like Paul last Sunday it got a bit beyond stupid with a gusty wind wiping all but one of them out, yet I survived and dry in my little Solution. They say had I had a spell in a Laser my technical skills would be so much better, (personally I think it's too late, old dog new tricks etc) but my question still remains, why go back? If there are better, easier boats, that let even t**sers like me (honestly if you watched me actually sail I'm useless at the ropes and handling)get round in half decent order, why constantly foist boats like the Laser on them especially newcomers that frankly haven't a prayer?

Edited by iGRF - 17 Dec 19 at 1:07pm

Originally posted by tink I haven’t owned a Laser for many years but spend a couple of weeks a year at a beach club sailing one. Mornings are drifters afternoons are full on waves and big wind. For context I sail a Streaker and before that an IC, the wrong side of fifty and in OK shape but no athlete. When I first started back in the Laser I hated it for all the well documented reasons, but after getting crib notes from a bloke back home and watching the boat whisperer DVDs I started to enjoy myself in it, particularly big winds and big waves. It is a boat that rewards technique and you can pretty well sail it in anything if you just keep it flat.

Originally posted by A2Z Originally posted by zeon Have you even see a H2 in the flesh ? For its size it’s light . It’s a hell of a lot bigger than a laser and lighter too . The only person sniping on here tonight is you. Chill out a bit  Personally I find it weird looking, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The one at our club got sold on pretty quickly - the owner, a good sailor, didn’t get on with it despite high hopes.

Originally posted by CT249 Zeon, comments such as implying that the Laser should not exist and others saying "pretty much everything else is much nicer" make it pretty clear that I'm not the only one sniping.

I haven’t owned a Laser for many years but spend a couple of weeks a year at a beach club sailing one. Mornings are drifters afternoons are full on waves and big wind. For context I sail a Streaker and before that an IC, the wrong side of fifty and in OK shape but no athlete. When I first started back in the Laser I hated it for all the well documented reasons, but after getting crib notes from a bloke back home and watching the boat whisperer DVDs I started to enjoy myself in it, particularly big winds and big waves. It is a boat that rewards technique and you can pretty well sail it in anything if you just keep it flat. When I did my coaching course it was so windy normal sailing wasn’t feasible, we did rudderless sailing in Lasers, I doubt many other boats would let you do that. 

If the question had been  ‘still’ exist I think the relatively unchanged nature of the Laser, cost of ownership and equal racing all rate highly. I am probably going to replace the Streaker with a Laser next year, for these reasons.