Is a Laser the Right Boat for Me? - Part 4, Racing

Racing pushes your learning curve along like almost nothing else, so think carefully before you decide on a boat that doesn’t have an active group of racing sailors supporting it.

I have owned three different boats that won the Sailing World magazine “Boat of the Year” award. I owned a Melges 24 (hull number 5), a Fusion-15 (hull number 16) and an MX-Ray (hull number 20 I think). All are fun fast boats, but none had a local fleet and racing meant travel and expenses that were discouraging. If you’re interested in a great deal on a Fusion-15 or an MX-Ray let me know.

I bought the Laser because there are almost 200,000 boats in virtually every country where people sail. There are more Lasers worldwide then any other kind of boat. There are regattas all  over the country, and in my area, New England, virtually every weekend all summer long. There are dealers and manufacturers near me, most sailboat hardware outlets and internet sites sell Laser parts and there are used boats advertised in numerous places.

For me, one of the drawbacks to a Laser was that it is a boat that is so athletic it was named both the men’s and the women’s single handed Olympic boat. One of the reasons it was chosen for the Olympics was its availability worldwide. Almost any one who wanted to compete could find a boat to practice on at a reasonable price. And the women’s boat is the same hull as the men’s boat. But, given its athletic requirements, it was crucial to me that there was an active Master’s (over 35 years old) racing program. How else could I sail an Olympic boat and be competitive?

Women will find the Laser particularly attractive as an option. The smaller Radial sail is well suited to people who weigh less than 150 pounds yet if the boat is sailed during periods of lighter winds it is easy to substitute the larger standard rig. This is a complimentary process to the one that many Master sailors use. We sail with the standard rig most of the time but switch to the Radial when the winds are too high.

Laser races are held both on the ocean and on lakes. Lake sailing is a very appealing place to learn to sail. You can concentrate on the basic skills and eliminate some of the variables that ocean sailing throws in, i.e., the waves and the tide, and often stronger winds. Lake racing also reduces the upkeep associated with salt-water corrosion.

It takes less than 30 minutes to casually rig a Laser that is sitting on a dolly. This involves sliding the sail onto the mast and then placing the mast into the boat. Four different control lines then need to be attached to the sail and the centerboard and rudder installed. I’ve gotten to the club late for a race day and had my boat rigged in less than 15 minutes, but there certainly wasn’t much time to chat with fellow sailors.