The International Laser Class sailboat, also called Laser Standard, is a popular one-design class of small sailing dinghy. It is a singlehanded boat, meaning that it is sailed by one person. The design, by Bruce Kirby, emphasizes simplicity and performance. The dinghy is now manufactured by Performance Sailcraft, Vanguard Sailboats, and Primex SA (see External Links). The Laser Standard is one of the most popular single-handed dinghies in the world. By 2007, the number of boats produced exceeded 190,000. A commonly cited reason for its popularity is that it is robust and simple to rig and sail, while the performance characteristics match those of more complex racing dinghies. Another reason is that unlike other one-design racing classes, the Laser allows very few changes, so aside from adding a cleat or two and some fancy lines, there is nothing that can be done to the boat to make it go faster. This makes maintaining a boat in top racing condition much less expensive than in other classes. "Laser" is mainly used to refer to the Laser Standard (the largest of the sail plan rigs available for the Laser hull), but this can be very confusing as there are a series of other "Laser"-branded boats using different hulls. Examples include the Laser II and Laser Pico, but these may be called Laser 2, and a Pico Contents [hide] * 1 History * 2 Design * 3 Parts of the boat * 4 Identification * 5 Other rigs using the Laser Standard hull * 5.1 Laser Radial * 5.2 Laser 4.7 * 5.3 Rooster 8.1 * 5.4 Laser M * 6 Handling * 6.1 Trimming * 7 Mooring * 8 See also * 9 External links * 9.1 Class Associations * 9.2 Manufacturers and Distributors [edit] History The boat's long history started with a phone call between Canadians Bruce Kirby and Ian Bruce. While discussing the possibility of a car-topped dinghy (a boat small enough to be carried on a roof rack of a typical car) for a line of camping equipment, Bruce Kirby sketched what would be known as "the million dollar doodle". The plans stayed with Kirby until 1970 when One Design and Offshore Yachtsman magazine held a regatta for boats under $1000, called "America's Teacup". After a few sail modifications, the Laser easily won its class. The prototype was originally named the "Weekender"; the sail held the letters TGIF, a common American abbreviation for "Thank God It's Friday". It was renamed Laser and officially unveiled at the New York Boat Show in 1971. The Laser became a men's Olympic-class boat in 1996, and a special Olympic edition of the boat was released that year in commemoration. A version with a smaller sail, the Laser Radial (see below), will be a women's Olympic-class boat beginning in 2008. The first world championship was held in 1974 in Bermuda. Entrants came from 24 countries, and first place was won by Peter Commette from the United States. It then became an Olympic venue at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. The greatest champion of Laser Class is Robert Scheidt (nickname "El Demolidor") from Brazil; he won the world championship eight times and won two gold and one silver Olympic medals. [edit] Design As a one-design class of sailboat, all Lasers are built to the same specifications. The hull is 4.23 metres (13 ft 10.5 in) long, with a waterline length of 3.81 m (12.5 ft). The hull weight is 56.7 kg (125 lb), which makes the boat light enough to lift onto a car-top rack. The various sizes of Laser are all cat-rigged; they have only a main sail. The Laser Standard sail has sail area of 7.06 m² (76 ft²) and, especially in higher winds, is most competitive when sailed by a muscular person weighing more than 80 kg (175 lb). [edit] Parts of the boat * Lines There are four main lines known as the main sheet, Cunningham, boom vang, and outhaul. The main sheet is 43 feet long. It is attached to the traveler and controls how far the sail goes out. The Cunningham controls the draft of the sail. Pulling on the cunningham moves the draft closer to the mast. Extreme tension on the cunningham line will cause the back of the sail to flutter like a flag in the wind. The boom vang's primary function is to pull the boom down and help shape the sail. When more boom vang tension is added, the mast curves and stretches the sail. This stretching flattens the sail and makes the draft more shallow. Shallower sails hold less wind and do not impart as much sideways pressure on the boat. The outhaul controls the shape of the lower part of the sail by pulling the back corner toward the end of the boom. When the outhaul is too loose the boat is pushed sideways and is hard to manage in strong winds. When the outhaul is pulled on hard and a sailor is trying to sail toward the wind, the bottom of the sail has no shape. The wind simply passes by, and the boat cannot be steered up and over waves. Each one of the Laser's control lines is a simple functional adjustment tool. On the other hand the adjustment options are infinite. Like a violin, it takes years and a lot of talent to master the combined use of the four strings. * Foils There are two foils in a Laser, the daggerboard and rudder. Laser foils are wing shaped pieces of steel reinforced plastic foam. The daggerboard is in the middle of the boat and is a moveable keel which limits the amount to which the boat side-slips when the wind pushes the sails sideways. Unlike the weighted keels in larger boats it does not assist in righting the boat(movement of the crew, by hiking out, must be utilised to keep the boat at a proper angle). The rudder is used to steer the boat. It has a tiller; attached to the tiller is the tiller extension, enabling the skipper to hike. The extension should be 40-60 inches. Taller sailors who are well conditioned use very long tiller extensions. * Sail The sail has the standard parts (head, leech, luff, clew and tack). The sail incorporates a pocket that runs the entire length of the leading edge; this pocket is slid down over the mast before the mast is erected. Thus it is not possible to lower the sail without removing the mast altogether. * Hiking strap The hiking strap is used by sailors to stay on the boat while leaning over the side of the boat. When the wind blows on the sails the sailboat tends to lean over sideways. The hiking strap is the sturdy strap in the middle of the cockpit. When the boat leans, the sailor's feet go under the strap and the sailor's torso hangs over the side of the boat. Sailors call this leaning over the side, "hiking out." On Lasers, especially when it is windy, there is a lot of hiking out to be done. Sailors who can hike out well over the side of the boat, sometimes with their knees at the very edge of the boat, are able to compensate against more leaning and use more of the wind forces to propel their boats. For this reason, physical conditioning is an important factor relating to the success of those who choose to race Lasers. * Spars There are two spars, the mast and boom. The mast is two separate pieces attached and mounted vertically to hold up the sail. The lower part of the mast is fatter and the upper thinner part slides inside the lower section. The upper thinner part is a frail aluminum tube that can be easily bent by sailors who use their Lasers in difficult sailing conditions. Care should be taken by all Laser sailors to avoid the mistake called a "Slam Dunk." Slam dunks happen when a sailor loses control of the boat. Usually the loss of control involves using too little boom vang tension while attempting to sail directly in the same direction as the wind is blowing. The boom is horizontal and is used to control the angle and shape of the sail. [edit] Identification A Laser's date and place of manufacture can be determined by looking at the serial number stamped into the transom. This serial number is unique to the boat and is also the same number that is shown in the sail. The Laser is unusual in this aspect, since almost every other sailing craft has the numbers assigned by the national organization. This means that the same Laser can be moved between countries without having to change numbers. It also means that the Laser Standard has a six-figure number which reflects the large number of boats manufactured worldwide. [edit] Other rigs using the Laser Standard hull [edit] Laser Radial Main article: Laser Radial In Europe the smaller Radial has surpassed the original Laser Standard in popularity, and even has supplanted the Europe Dinghy as the Women's Singlehanded Dinghy for the 2008 Olympics. The radial uses the same hull and fittings as the Laser Standard, but has a smaller sail, shorter lower mast section and has a different cut of sail to that of the standard or 4.7. [edit] Laser 4.7 Main article: Laser 4.7 A smaller sail plan for the Laser was developed about a decade later. The sail area was reduced by 35% from the Standard, allowing even lighter sailors to sail. The same formula as the Radial is kept, the only thing you need to convert your Laser Standard into a Laser 4.7 was to change the lower mast and sail. The name, 4.7 comes from the sail area in square meters (4.7 m² / 50 ft²). [edit] Rooster 8.1 Main article: Laser 8.1 A company called Rooster has designed and created what is called the Rooster 8.1. This huge sail size is not for the faint at heart, and is specifically made for heavier sailors who want a wild ride. The inaugural 2007 Nationals were won by Steve Cockerill (of Rooster Sailing), who normally sails a Laser Radial. [edit] Laser M A third and lesser-known variant is the Laser M Rig. This sail was the first attempt at making a smaller rig for smaller sailors. It employed the same stiff lower mast section, but a shorter top section. The design failed. The M Rig was often more difficult to handle upwind than a standard rig, due largely to the very stiff mast sections, which prevented the effective depowering of the sail. [edit] Handling /wiki/Image:Laser_dinghy_pilot.jpg/wiki/Image:Laser_dinghy_pilot.jpg /wiki/Image:Laser_dinghy_pilot.jpgHandling a Laser dinghy. The Laser Standard is a quick boat for its size and width, mostly due to its light weight and relatively large sail area. A skilled helmsman can get the dinghy to plane on downwind tacks, lifting the bow of the boat out of the water and dramatically improving the speed. Planing is difficult and increases the risk of a capsize, but it is needed to achieve the potential of the dinghy. [edit] Trimming All sizes of Laser have three control lines (excluding the main sheet) from which the helmsman can adjust the rig, these are the outhaul, the boom vang and the cunningham (forward luff tensioner). In lighter winds, beginners can mostly ignore these tools, but they become more important in higher winds, and when trying to get the best performance out of the boat. /wiki/Image:Parts_of_a_sail_for_laser_article.svg /wiki/Image:Parts_of_a_sail_for_laser_article.svgA diagram showing the different parts of the Laser Sail affected by the outhaul, the boom vang, and the cunningham. The outhaul controls how tight the foot of the sail is, by pulling the clew away from the tack of the sail. The boom vang controls how tight the leech of the sail is, by pulling the clew edge of the sail away from the head of the sail. The cunningham tightens the luff of the sail by bringing the tack away from the head of the sail. When sailing upwind, one tightens all three until the sail is mostly flat and wrinkle-free. When the wind increases even more, the helmsman needs to reduce the amount of force being put into the boat by the rig, and to accomplish this the sail is flattened even more. In these winds, most sailors pull the outhaul to the maximum, the cunningham so much that the eye is forced down to the boom. The amount of boom vang used is up to the helmsman; most helms apply vang, or kicker, until the two mainsheet blocks on the transom and boom are touching. Large amounts of kicker are necessary in order to generate mast bend, and hence maintain sail shape. This does have the effect of stretching the sail, and it is not unusual for experienced helms to replace the sail regularly throughout the season as the sail quickly loses shape and hence performance. However, some helms choose to use the same sail over and over again as most of the gear on the one design laser is somewhat more expensive than comparable equipment on boats with less stringent equipment regulations. On all downwind tacks, the outhaul is kept quite loose to increase draft, and the cunningham is completely loosened to open up the top of the sail. In lighter winds, the boom vang is loosened until the leech moves freely back and forward. The boom vang becomes crucial in when sailing downwind in a heavy breeze. If the vang is too tight the boat will be unable to sail downwards and quickly steer up to face the wind or capsize. If the vang is too loose, i.e. the boom is pointing upward, then air flow along the sail will be turbulent, and might vary direction of the flow depending on the heel of the boat. This situation is very uncomfortable and results in an uncontrollable boat and can cause the boat to take an unexpected and very quick turn, either into or away from the wind. This is dangerous, since turning too far from the wind will lead to an uncontrolled jibe, which might make the boom hit the helmsman with much force, before the boat capsizes. This very situation is called a death roll among sailors. In recent years, the basic sail controls have been upgraded by means of the XD performance kit. Fitting this kit allows the outhaul and cunningham to be adjusted more easily when under sail, by putting a pair of cam cleats on the deck so that the lines are always available to the sailor even when hiking. Because the Laser has an unstayed rig, skilled helms are able to sail "By the Lee". This technique, employed downwind, involves letting the boom move in front of the mast, inverting the heeling moment of the sail. The advantage is the ability to steer the boat without the need to perform a gybe. This gives the helm flexibility to move the boat to take advantage of wave motion and windshifts. Downwind, a sailor may choose to go wherever the wind is, without losing speed from gybing. The Laser has a relatively small rudder, meaning that turns made by the rudder have to be larger than on similar dinghies. It is usual to see that helms make little use of the rudder, preferring to change the direction of the boat using balance and heel. The rudder acts like a brake, because every time the sailor moves it, the boat will slow down to some degree. Using heel, the boat maintains speed better. [edit] Mooring Mooring is the act of ty The International Laser Class sailboat, also called Laser Standard, is a popular one-design class of small sailing dinghy. It is a singlehanded boat, meaning that it is sailed by one person. The design, by Bruce Kirby, emphasizes simplicity and performance. The dinghy is now manufactured by Performance Sailcraft, Vanguard Sailboats, and Primex SA (see External Links). The Laser Standard is one of the most popular single-handed dinghies in the world. By 2007, the number of boats produced exceeded 190,000. A commonly cited reason for its popularity is that it is robust and simple to rig and sail, while the performance characteristics match those of more complex racing dinghies. Another reason is that unlike other one-design racing classes, the Laser allows very few changes, so aside from adding a cleat or two and some fancy lines, there is nothing that can be done to the boat to make it go faster. This makes maintaining a boat in top racing condition much less expensive than in other classes. "Laser" is mainly used to refer to the Laser Standard (the largest of the sail plan rigs available for the Laser hull), but this can be very confusing as there are a series of other "Laser"-branded boats using different hulls. Examples include the Laser II and Laser Pico, but these may be called Laser 2, and a Pico Contents [hide] * 1 History * 2 Design * 3 Parts of the boat * 4 Identification * 5 Other rigs using the Laser Standard hull * 5.1 Laser Radial * 5.2 Laser 4.7 * 5.3 Rooster 8.1 * 5.4 Laser M * 6 Handling * 6.1 Trimming * 7 Mooring * 8 See also * 9 External links * 9.1 Class Associations * 9.2 Manufacturers and Distributors [edit] History The boat's long history started with a phone call between Canadians Bruce Kirby and Ian Bruce. While discussing the possibility of a car-topped dinghy (a boat small enough to be carried on a roof rack of a typical car) for a line of camping equipment, Bruce Kirby sketched what would be known as "the million dollar doodle". The plans stayed with Kirby until 1970 when One Design and Offshore Yachtsman magazine held a regatta for boats under $1000, called "America's Teacup". After a few sail modifications, the Laser easily won its class. The prototype was originally named the "Weekender"; the sail held the letters TGIF, a common American abbreviation for "Thank God It's Friday". It was renamed Laser and officially unveiled at the New York Boat Show in 1971. The Laser became a men's Olympic-class boat in 1996, and a special Olympic edition of the boat was released that year in commemoration. A version with a smaller sail, the Laser Radial (see below), will be a women's Olympic-class boat beginning in 2008. The first world championship was held in 1974 in Bermuda. Entrants came from 24 countries, and first place was won by Peter Commette from the United States. It then became an Olympic venue at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. The greatest champion of Laser Class is Robert Scheidt (nickname "El Demolidor") from Brazil; he won the world championship eight times and won two gold and one silver Olympic medals. [edit] Design As a one-design class of sailboat, all Lasers are built to the same specifications. The hull is 4.23 metres (13 ft 10.5 in) long, with a waterline length of 3.81 m (12.5 ft). The hull weight is 56.7 kg (125 lb), which makes the boat light enough to lift onto a car-top rack. The various sizes of Laser are all cat-rigged; they have only a main sail. The Laser Standard sail has sail area of 7.06 m² (76 ft²) and, especially in higher winds, is most competitive when sailed by a muscular person weighing more than 80 kg (175 lb). [edit] Parts of the boat * Lines There are four main lines known as the main sheet, Cunningham, boom vang, and outhaul. The main sheet is 43 feet long. It is attached to the traveler and controls how far the sail goes out. The Cunningham controls the draft of the sail. Pulling on the cunningham moves the draft closer to the mast. Extreme tension on the cunningham line will cause the back of the sail to flutter like a flag in the wind. The boom vang's primary function is to pull the boom down and help shape the sail. When more boom vang tension is added, the mast curves and stretches the sail. This stretching flattens the sail and makes the draft more shallow. Shallower sails hold less wind and do not impart as much sideways pressure on the boat. The outhaul controls the shape of the lower part of the sail by pulling the back corner toward the end of the boom. When the outhaul is too loose the boat is pushed sideways and is hard to manage in strong winds. When the outhaul is pulled on hard and a sailor is trying to sail toward the wind, the bottom of the sail has no shape. The wind simply passes by, and the boat cannot be steered up and over waves. Each one of the Laser's control lines is a simple functional adjustment tool. On the other hand the adjustment options are infinite. Like a violin, it takes years and a lot of talent to master the combined use of the four strings. * Foils There are two foils in a Laser, the daggerboard and rudder. Laser foils are wing shaped pieces of steel reinforced plastic foam. The daggerboard is in the middle of the boat and is a moveable keel which limits the amount to which the boat side-slips when the wind pushes the sails sideways. Unlike the weighted keels in larger boats it does not assist in righting the boat(movement of the crew, by hiking out, must be utilised to keep the boat at a proper angle). The rudder is used to steer the boat. It has a tiller; attached to the tiller is the tiller extension, enabling the skipper to hike. The extension should be 40-60 inches. Taller sailors who are well conditioned use very long tiller extensions. * Sail The sail has the standard parts (head, leech, luff, clew and tack). The sail incorporates a pocket that runs the entire length of the leading edge; this pocket is slid down over the mast before the mast is erected. Thus it is not possible to lower the sail without removing the mast altogether. * Hiking strap The hiking strap is used by sailors to stay on the boat while leaning over the side of the boat. When the wind blows on the sails the sailboat tends to lean over sideways. The hiking strap is the sturdy strap in the middle of the cockpit. When the boat leans, the sailor's feet go under the strap and the sailor's torso hangs over the side of the boat. Sailors call this leaning over the side, "hiking out." On Lasers, especially when it is windy, there is a lot of hiking out to be done. Sailors who can hike out well over the side of the boat, sometimes with their knees at the very edge of the boat, are able to compensate against more leaning and use more of the wind forces to propel their boats. For this reason, physical conditioning is an important factor relating to the success of those who choose to race Lasers. * Spars There are two spars, the mast and boom. The mast is two separate pieces attached and mounted vertically to hold up the sail. The lower part of the mast is fatter and the upper thinner part slides inside the lower section. The upper thinner part is a frail aluminum tube that can be easily bent by sailors who use their Lasers in difficult sailing conditions. Care should be taken by all Laser sailors to avoid the mistake called a "Slam Dunk." Slam dunks happen when a sailor loses control of the boat. Usually the loss of control involves using too little boom vang tension while attempting to sail directly in the same direction as the wind is blowing. The boom is horizontal and is used to control the angle and shape of the sail. [edit] Identification A Laser's date and place of manufacture can be determined by looking at the serial number stamped into the transom. This serial number is unique to the boat and is also the same number that is shown in the sail. The Laser is unusual in this aspect, since almost every other sailing craft has the numbers assigned by the national organization. This means that the same Laser can be moved between countries without having to change numbers. It also means that the Laser Standard has a six-figure number which reflects the large number of boats manufactured worldwide. [edit] Other rigs using the Laser Standard hull [edit] Laser Radial Main article: Laser Radial In Europe the smaller Radial has surpassed the original Laser Standard in popularity, and even has supplanted the Europe Dinghy as the Women's Singlehanded Dinghy for the 2008 Olympics. The radial uses the same hull and fittings as the Laser Standard, but has a smaller sail, shorter lower mast section and has a different cut of sail to that of the standard or 4.7. [edit] Laser 4.7 Main article: Laser 4.7 A smaller sail plan for the Laser was developed about a decade later. The sail area was reduced by 35% from the Standard, allowing even lighter sailors to sail. The same formula as the Radial is kept, the only thing you need to convert your Laser Standard into a Laser 4.7 was to change the lower mast and sail. The name, 4.7 comes from the sail area in square meters (4.7 m² / 50 ft²). [edit] Rooster 8.1 Main article: Laser 8.1 A company called Rooster has designed and created what is called the Rooster 8.1. This huge sail size is not for the faint at heart, and is specifically made for heavier sailors who want a wild ride. The inaugural 2007 Nationals were won by Steve Cockerill (of Rooster Sailing), who normally sails a Laser Radial. [edit] Laser M A third and lesser-known variant is the Laser M Rig. This sail was the first attempt at making a smaller rig for smaller sailors. It employed the same stiff lower mast section, but a shorter top section. The design failed. The M Rig was often more difficult to handle upwind than a standard rig, due largely to the very stiff mast sections, which prevented the effective depowering of the sail. [edit] Handling /wiki/Image:Laser_dinghy_pilot.jpg/wiki/Image:Laser_dinghy_pilot.jpg /wiki/Image:Laser_dinghy_pilot.jpgHandling a Laser dinghy. The Laser Standard is a quick boat for its size and width, mostly due to its light weight and relatively large sail area. A skilled helmsman can get the dinghy to plane on downwind tacks, lifting the bow of the boat out of the water and dramatically improving the speed. Planing is difficult and increases the risk of a capsize, but it is needed to achieve the potential of the dinghy. [edit] Trimming All sizes of Laser have three control lines (excluding the main sheet) from which the helmsman can adjust the rig, these are the outhaul, the boom vang and the cunningham (forward luff tensioner). In lighter winds, beginners can mostly ignore these tools, but they become more important in higher winds, and when trying to get the best performance out of the boat. /wiki/Image:Parts_of_a_sail_for_laser_article.svg /wiki/Image:Parts_of_a_sail_for_laser_article.svgA diagram showing the different parts of the Laser Sail affected by the outhaul, the boom vang, and the cunningham. The outhaul controls how tight the foot of the sail is, by pulling the clew away from the tack of the sail. The boom vang controls how tight the leech of the sail is, by pulling the clew edge of the sail away from the head of the sail. The cunningham tightens the luff of the sail by bringing the tack away from the head of the sail. When sailing upwind, one tightens all three until the sail is mostly flat and wrinkle-free. When the wind increases even more, the helmsman needs to reduce the amount of force being put into the boat by the rig, and to accomplish this the sail is flattened even more. In these winds, most sailors pull the outhaul to the maximum, the cunningham so much that the eye is forced down to the boom. The amount of boom vang used is up to the helmsman; most helms apply vang, or kicker, until the two mainsheet blocks on the transom and boom are touching. Large amounts of kicker are necessary in order to generate mast bend, and hence maintain sail shape. This does have the effect of stretching the sail, and it is not unusual for experienced helms to replace the sail regularly throughout the season as the sail quickly loses shape and hence performance. However, some helms choose to use the same sail over and over again as most of the gear on the one design laser is somewhat more expensive than comparable equipment on boats with less stringent equipment regulations. On all downwind tacks, the outhaul is kept quite loose to increase draft, and the cunningham is completely loosened to open up the top of the sail. In lighter winds, the boom vang is loosened until the leech moves freely back and forward. The boom vang becomes crucial in when sailing downwind in a heavy breeze. If the vang is too tight the boat will be unable to sail downwards and quickly steer up to face the wind or capsize. If the vang is too loose, i.e. the boom is pointing upward, then air flow along the sail will be turbulent, and might vary direction of the flow depending on the heel of the boat. This situation is very uncomfortable and results in an uncontrollable boat and can cause the boat to take an unexpected and very quick turn, either into or away from the wind. This is dangerous, since turning too far from the wind will lead to an uncontrolled jibe, which might make the boom hit the helmsman with much force, before the boat capsizes. This very situation is called a death roll among sailors. In recent years, the basic sail controls have been upgraded by means of the XD performance kit. Fitting this kit allows the outhaul and cunningham to be adjusted more easily when under sail, by putting a pair of cam cleats on the deck so that the lines are always available to the sailor even when hiking. Because the Laser has an unstayed rig, skilled helms are able to sail "By the Lee". This technique, employed downwind, involves letting the boom move in front of the mast, inverting the heeling moment of the sail. The advantage is the ability to steer the boat without the need to perform a gybe. This gives the helm flexibility to move the boat to take advantage of wave motion and windshifts. Downwind, a sailor may choose to go wherever the wind is, without losing speed from gybing. The Laser has a relatively small rudder, meaning that turns made by the rudder have to be larger than on similar dinghies. It is usual to see that helms make little use of the rudder, preferring to change the direction of the boat using balance and heel. The rudder acts like a brake, because every time the sailor moves it, the boat will slow down to some degree. Using heel, the boat maintains speed better. [edit] Mooring Mooring is the act of ty The International Laser Class sailboat, also called Laser Standard, is a popular one-design class of small sailing dinghy. It is a singlehanded boat, meaning that it is sailed by one person. The design, by Bruce Kirby, emphasizes simplicity and performance. The dinghy is now manufactured by Performance Sailcraft, Vanguard Sailboats, and Primex SA (see External Links). The Laser Standard is one of the most popular single-handed dinghies in the world. By 2007, the number of boats produced exceeded 190,000. A commonly cited reason for its popularity is that it is robust and simple to rig and sail, while the performance characteristics match those of more complex racing dinghies. Another reason is that unlike other one-design racing classes, the Laser allows very few changes, so aside from adding a cleat or two and some fancy lines, there is nothing that can be done to the boat to make it go faster. This makes maintaining a boat in top racing condition much less expensive than in other classes. "Laser" is mainly used to refer to the Laser Standard (the largest of the sail plan rigs available for the Laser hull), but this can be very confusing as there are a series of other "Laser"-branded boats using different hulls. Examples include the Laser II and Laser Pico, but these may be called Laser 2, and a Pico Contents [hide] * 1 History * 2 Design * 3 Parts of the boat * 4 Identification * 5 Other rigs using the Laser Standard hull * 5.1 Laser Radial * 5.2 Laser 4.7 * 5.3 Rooster 8.1 * 5.4 Laser M * 6 Handling * 6.1 Trimming * 7 Mooring * 8 See also * 9 External links * 9.1 Class Associations * 9.2 Manufacturers and Distributors [edit] History The boat's long history started with a phone call between Canadians Bruce Kirby and Ian Bruce. While discussing the possibility of a car-topped dinghy (a boat small enough to be carried on a roof rack of a typical car) for a line of camping equipment, Bruce Kirby sketched what would be known as "the million dollar doodle". The plans stayed with Kirby until 1970 when One Design and Offshore Yachtsman magazine held a regatta for boats under $1000, called "America's Teacup". After a few sail modifications, the Laser easily won its class. The prototype was originally named the "Weekender"; the sail held the letters TGIF, a common American abbreviation for "Thank God It's Friday". It was renamed Laser and officially unveiled at the New York Boat Show in 1971. The Laser became a men's Olympic-class boat in 1996, and a special Olympic edition of the boat was released that year in commemoration. A version with a smaller sail, the Laser Radial (see below), will be a women's Olympic-class boat beginning in 2008. The first world championship was held in 1974 in Bermuda. Entrants came from 24 countries, and first place was won by Peter Commette from the United States. It then became an Olympic venue at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. The greatest champion of Laser Class is Robert Scheidt (nickname "El Demolidor") from Brazil; he won the world championship eight times and won two gold and one silver Olympic medals. [edit] Design As a one-design class of sailboat, all Lasers are built to the same specifications. The hull is 4.23 metres (13 ft 10.5 in) long, with a waterline length of 3.81 m (12.5 ft). The hull weight is 56.7 kg (125 lb), which makes the boat light enough to lift onto a car-top rack. The various sizes of Laser are all cat-rigged; they have only a main sail. The Laser Standard sail has sail area of 7.06 m² (76 ft²) and, especially in higher winds, is most competitive when sailed by a muscular person weighing more than 80 kg (175 lb). [edit] Parts of the boat * Lines There are four main lines known as the main sheet, Cunningham, boom vang, and outhaul. The main sheet is 43 feet long. It is attached to the traveler and controls how far the sail goes out. The Cunningham controls the draft of the sail. Pulling on the cunningham moves the draft closer to the mast. Extreme tension on the cunningham line will cause the back of the sail to flutter like a flag in the wind. The boom vang's primary function is to pull the boom down and help shape the sail. When more boom vang tension is added, the mast curves and stretches the sail. This stretching flattens the sail and makes the draft more shallow. Shallower sails hold less wind and do not impart as much sideways pressure on the boat. The outhaul controls the shape of the lower part of the sail by pulling the back corner toward the end of the boom. When the outhaul is too loose the boat is pushed sideways and is hard to manage in strong winds. When the outhaul is pulled on hard and a sailor is trying to sail toward the wind, the bottom of the sail has no shape. The wind simply passes by, and the boat cannot be steered up and over waves. Each one of the Laser's control lines is a simple functional adjustment tool. On the other hand the adjustment options are infinite. Like a violin, it takes years and a lot of talent to master the combined use of the four strings. * Foils There are two foils in a Laser, the daggerboard and rudder. Laser foils are wing shaped pieces of steel reinforced plastic foam. The daggerboard is in the middle of the boat and is a moveable keel which limits the amount to which the boat side-slips when the wind pushes the sails sideways. Unlike the weighted keels in larger boats it does not assist in righting the boat(movement of the crew, by hiking out, must be utilised to keep the boat at a proper angle). The rudder is used to steer the boat. It has a tiller; attached to the tiller is the tiller extension, enabling the skipper to hike. The extension should be 40-60 inches. Taller sailors who are well conditioned use very long tiller extensions. * Sail The sail has the standard parts (head, leech, luff, clew and tack). The sail incorporates a pocket that runs the entire length of the leading edge; this pocket is slid down over the mast before the mast is erected. Thus it is not possible to lower the sail without removing the mast altogether. * Hiking strap The hiking strap is used by sailors to stay on the boat while leaning over the side of the boat. When the wind blows on the sails the sailboat tends to lean over sideways. The hiking strap is the sturdy strap in the middle of the cockpit. When the boat leans, the sailor's feet go under the strap and the sailor's torso hangs over the side of the boat. Sailors call this leaning over the side, "hiking out." On Lasers, especially when it is windy, there is a lot of hiking out to be done. Sailors who can hike out well over the side of the boat, sometimes with their knees at the very edge of the boat, are able to compensate against more leaning and use more of the wind forces to propel their boats. For this reason, physical conditioning is an important factor relating to the success of those who choose to race Lasers. * Spars There are two spars, the mast and boom. The mast is two separate pieces attached and mounted vertically to hold up the sail. The lower part of the mast is fatter and the upper thinner part slides inside the lower section. The upper thinner part is a frail aluminum tube that can be easily bent by sailors who use their Lasers in difficult sailing conditions. Care should be taken by all Laser sailors to avoid the mistake called a "Slam Dunk." Slam dunks happen when a sailor loses control of the boat. Usually the loss of control involves using too little boom vang tension while attempting to sail directly in the same direction as the wind is blowing. The boom is horizontal and is used to control the angle and shape of the sail. [edit] Identification A Laser's date and place of manufacture can be determined by looking at the serial number stamped into the transom. This serial number is unique to the boat and is also the same number that is shown in the sail. The Laser is unusual in this aspect, since almost every other sailing craft has the numbers assigned by the national organization. This means that the same Laser can be moved between countries without having to change numbers. It also means that the Laser Standard has a six-figure number which reflects the large number of boats manufactured worldwide. [edit] Other rigs using the Laser Standard hull [edit] Laser Radial Main article: Laser Radial In Europe the smaller Radial has surpassed the original Laser Standard in popularity, and even has supplanted the Europe Dinghy as the Women's Singlehanded Dinghy for the 2008 Olympics. The radial uses the same hull and fittings as the Laser Standard, but has a smaller sail, shorter lower mast section and has a different cut of sail to that of the standard or 4.7. [edit] Laser 4.7 Main article: Laser 4.7 A smaller sail plan for the Laser was developed about a decade later. The sail area was reduced by 35% from the Standard, allowing even lighter sailors to sail. The same formula as the Radial is kept, the only thing you need to convert your Laser Standard into a Laser 4.7 was to change the lower mast and sail. The name, 4.7 comes from the sail area in square meters (4.7 m² / 50 ft²). [edit] Rooster 8.1 Main article: Laser 8.1 A company called Rooster has designed and created what is called the Rooster 8.1. This huge sail size is not for the faint at heart, and is specifically made for heavier sailors who want a wild ride. The inaugural 2007 Nationals were won by Steve Cockerill (of Rooster Sailing), who normally sails a Laser Radial. [edit] Laser M A third and lesser-known variant is the Laser M Rig. This sail was the first attempt at making a smaller rig for smaller sailors. It employed the same stiff lower mast section, but a shorter top section. The design failed. The M Rig was often more difficult to handle upwind than a standard rig, due largely to the very stiff mast sections, which prevented the effective depowering of the sail. [edit] Handling /wiki/Image:Laser_dinghy_pilot.jpg/wiki/Image:Laser_dinghy_pilot.jpg /wiki/Image:Laser_dinghy_pilot.jpgHandling a Laser dinghy. The Laser Standard is a quick boat for its size and width, mostly due to its light weight and relatively large sail area. A skilled helmsman can get the dinghy to plane on downwind tacks, lifting the bow of the boat out of the water and dramatically improving the speed. Planing is difficult and increases the risk of a capsize, but it is needed to achieve the potential of the dinghy. [edit] Trimming All sizes of Laser have three control lines (excluding the main sheet) from which the helmsman can adjust the rig, these are the outhaul, the boom vang and the cunningham (forward luff tensioner). In lighter winds, beginners can mostly ignore these tools, but they become more important in higher winds, and when trying to get the best performance out of the boat. /wiki/Image:Parts_of_a_sail_for_laser_article.svg /wiki/Image:Parts_of_a_sail_for_laser_article.svgA diagram showing the different parts of the Laser Sail affected by the outhaul, the boom vang, and the cunningham. The outhaul controls how tight the foot of the sail is, by pulling the clew away from the tack of the sail. The boom vang controls how tight the leech of the sail is, by pulling the clew edge of the sail away from the head of the sail. The cunningham tightens the luff of the sail by bringing the tack away from the head of the sail. When sailing upwind, one tightens all three until the sail is mostly flat and wrinkle-free. When the wind increases even more, the helmsman needs to reduce the amount of force being put into the boat by the rig, and to accomplish this the sail is flattened even more. In these winds, most sailors pull the outhaul to the maximum, the cunningham so much that the eye is forced down to the boom. The amount of boom vang used is up to the helmsman; most helms apply vang, or kicker, until the two mainsheet blocks on the transom and boom are touching. Large amounts of kicker are necessary in order to generate mast bend, and hence maintain sail shape. This does have the effect of stretching the sail, and it is not unusual for experienced helms to replace the sail regularly throughout the season as the sail quickly loses shape and hence performance. However, some helms choose to use the same sail over and over again as most of the gear on the one design laser is somewhat more expensive than comparable equipment on boats with less stringent equipment regulations. On all downwind tacks, the outhaul is kept quite loose to increase draft, and the cunningham is completely loosened to open up the top of the sail. In lighter winds, the boom vang is loosened until the leech moves freely back and forward. The boom vang becomes crucial in when sailing downwind in a heavy breeze. If the vang is too tight the boat will be unable to sail downwards and quickly steer up to face the wind or capsize. If the vang is too loose, i.e. the boom is pointing upward, then air flow along the sail will be turbulent, and might vary direction of the flow depending on the heel of the boat. This situation is very uncomfortable and results in an uncontrollable boat and can cause the boat to take an unexpected and very quick turn, either into or away from the wind. This is dangerous, since turning too far from the wind will lead to an uncontrolled jibe, which might make the boom hit the helmsman with much force, before the boat capsizes. This very situation is called a death roll among sailors. In recent years, the basic sail controls have been upgraded by means of the XD performance kit. Fitting this kit allows the outhaul and cunningham to be adjusted more easily when under sail, by putting a pair of cam cleats on the deck so that the lines are always available to the sailor even when hiking. Because the Laser has an unstayed rig, skilled helms are able to sail "By the Lee". This technique, employed downwind, involves letting the boom move in front of the mast, inverting the heeling moment of the sail. The advantage is the ability to steer the boat without the need to perform a gybe. This gives the helm flexibility to move the boat to take advantage of wave motion and windshifts. Downwind, a sailor may choose to go wherever the wind is, without losing speed from gybing. The Laser has a relatively small rudder, meaning that turns made by the rudder have to be larger than on similar dinghies. It is usual to see that helms make little use of the rudder, preferring to change the direction of the boat using balance and heel. The rudder acts like a brake, because every time the sailor moves it, the boat will slow down to some degree. Using heel, the boat maintains speed better.