A Laser…from the table!

We discover from this photo that one of the Laser’s strengths, in addition to its ease of transport and arming, is its pliability. What other boat could comfortably become a table on which to have a drink?

STORY OF A BEAUTIFUL, FAST AND IMMORTAL BOAT
Rather than monotypy, in the case of the Laser we can speak of incontrovertible dogmas. The hulls produced today are equal in every way to that fast “beach” boat designed in 1971 by Canadian designer Bruce Kirby. Who never dreamed he would see his own idea of “ready-to-go” drift reproduced in nearly 200,000 copies distributed in 140 countries around the world. The key lies in the extreme ease of rigging: the mast, a true “pole” consisting of two parts, fits directly into the foredeck cup, after the sail is inferred. Of rigging, not even a shadow. In addition, the 4.23-meter-long, 1.37-meter-wide, 56.7-kilogram hull can be conveniently loaded onto the roof of one’s car. If we then add the fact that, in the water, its handling requires exceptional tactical, technical and physical skills, especially in sustained winds (it is a very fast hull: recently Jesse Andrews, a Hawaiian laserist, set a record high of 16.8 knots in Honolulu, but there are those who are convinced that it can be done better), is it any wonder that the Laser has only become an Olympic class since the Atlanta ’96 Games. In addition to the original Laser, referred to as Standard, which has a 7.06-square-meter mainsail (and is recommended for sailors over 70 kg), there are two versions with reduced sail area: the Laser Radial (5.76 sq. m.), which replaced Europe in 2008 as the single Olympic women’s class and is ideal for helmsmen weighing between 55 and 70 kg, and the Laser 4.7 (the number stands for sail square footage), which is particularly suitable for young people under 55 kg. In the face of the reduction in “canvas,” the hull remains the same, making it easy and economical to switch from one Laser to another.

THE BEST EVER
By Robert Scheidt, Brazil’s “el Demolidor,” one is born every hundred years. But the Laser is a hotbed of aces, including Britain’s Ben Ainslie, who won an Olympic gold medal at Sydney 2000. Italy can also boast an Olympic bronze medal: to win it, in 2008, Italian-Argentinian Diego Romero, wearing the colors of the small Circolo Nautico Sturla of Genoa. The other Italian nationals to try their hand at the Games were Francesco Bruni, 12th in Savannah in 1996, and Diego Negri, 8th in Sydney in 2000 and 13th in Athens 2004. As for the Laser Radial, at the Qingdao Olympics, which was won by Anna Tunnicliffe of the United States, Italy took 19th place with Larissa Nevierov of Trieste. The current “phenomenon” is Australian Tom Slingsby.

SHIPYARDS, SAILMAKERS AND REGATTAS
The Laser is produced by Laser Performance, which operates under a monopoly. The official sails, supplied with the hull, are designed by ILCA (International Laser Class Association). As is the case for every Olympic class, within the Laser the events of the Hyères, Medemblik, Palma and Riva del Garda weeks, as well as the Miami Rolex Cup, are of great importance. In Italy, the other must-see events are the CICO (Italian championship) and the Italia Cup, a circuit of 4 national regattas.