Laser 2
The Laser 2 Regatta is a double-handed version of the popular Laser one-design class of small sailing dinghy. It is a quick, planing dinghy that differs from the Laser in that it has a jib, symmetric spinnaker and a single trapeze for the crew. It was designed by New Zealander Frank Bethwaite and was first launched as a product in Australia then North America in 1979 and in Europe in 1980. The hull is made of GRP (glass reinforced plastic). The rig is a Bermudian rig sloop with spinnaker. It is designed to be a mid to high performance racer. In Britain, its most common current use is at university class in British University Sailing Association (BUSA) events. A version known as the Laser Fun was available, the same hull but featuring a reefable mainsail and a roller furling jib, and with the option of an asymmetric spinnaker (Laser Fun New Wave). As a strict one-design boat the Laser 2 was not available for amateur construction. The class was recognised by World Sailing from early 1980s to 2020 and used as equipment for the Class World Championships and World Sailing own Youth Sailing World Championships. The class had extensive use in Europe and North America as a school and college boat and used for team racing without the spinnaker and trapeze. With more than 10500 boats built production was discontinued in 2007 following merger of Performance Sailcraft Europe and Vanguard Sailboats into a combined entity Laser Performance.
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Boat | |
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Crew | 2 (single trapeze) |
Hull | |
Hull weight | 76 kg (168 lb) |
LOA | 4,370 mm (14.34 ft) |
Beam | 1,420 mm (4.66 ft) |
Sails | |
Mainsail area | 8.90 m2 (95.8 sq ft) |
Jib/genoa area | 2.62 m2 (28.2 sq ft) |
Spinnaker area | 10.2 m2 (110 sq ft) |
Upwind sail area | 11.52 m2 (124.0 sq ft) |
Racing | |
D-PN | 92.8[1] |
RYA PN | 1035[2] |
While the class became known as the Laser 2 "Regatta" the Laser 2 "Fun" was also launched using the same hull but with brightly coloured less performance oriented sails and a bowsprit kit for an asymmetric spinnaker. The hull design for the Laser 2 was later then married to a new deck and rig to produce the Laser 3000 in 1996, which following being dropped by Laser became known just as the 3000 Class.
World Championships
Year |
Gold | Silver | Bronze |
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1989 Kingston CAN |
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1991 Hayling GBR |
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1993 ITA |
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1995 Sarasota USA |
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1997 Cork IRL |
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1999 |
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2001 | Andy Palmer-Felgate / Lee Sydenham (2) | Graeme Bristow / Bryan Mobbs (3) | Nigel Skudder / Chris Seymour (6) |
2003 Hoom NED |
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2005 Kingston CAN |
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2007 GER |
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2009 |
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2011 Travemunder GER |
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2013 Lake Como ITA |
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Youth Sailing World Championships
Year |
Gold | Silver | Bronze |
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1993 Lake Garda ITA Nations[3] |
![]() Zeevi Kalach Elad Ronen |
![]() Gustavo Doreste Blanco Dimas Wood Valdivielso |
![]() Simon Cooke Edward Smyth |
1993 Lake Garda ITA Nations[4] |
![]() Storm NUTTAL Sally CUTHBERT |
![]() Melinda Henshaw Lisa JACK |
![]() Lindsay STANIFORTH Alison MATTHEWS |
1994 Marathon GRE 22 Nations[5] |
![]() David James PJ BUHLER |
![]() Rodrigo AMADO Leonardo SANTOS |
![]() Justin STEEL Christian Stevens |
1994 Marathon GRE 15 Nations[6] |
![]() Storm NUTTAL Sally CUTHBERT |
![]() Briohny Hooper Amanda MILLER |
![]() Susie Wood Jennifer CHEYNE |
1995 Hamilton BER 21 Nations[7] |
![]() Nick Rogers Pom Green |
![]() David James PJ BUHLER |
![]() Etienne Huter Pierre HUTER |
1995 Hamilton BER 13 Nations[8] |
![]() Jessie CUTHBERT Sally CUTHBERT |
![]() Barbara Snieders Wynkhe BODEWES |
![]() Claudia Tosi Frederica MERINGOLO |
1996 Newport USA 22 Nations[9] |
![]() Mats Hellman Dirk Jan Lucas |
![]() Chris Draper Daniel Newman |
![]() Michael Bond Michael Bassett |
1996 Newport USA 16 Nations[10] |
![]() Jessie CUTHBERT Sally CUTHBERT |
![]() Joanne KNIGHT Linda Dickson |
![]() Laura Dillon Ciara Peelo |
References
- "Centerboard Classes". US Sailing. Archived from the original on 15 March 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
- "Portsmouth Number List 2012". Royal Yachting Association. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
- Laser 2 at World Sailing
- Laser 2 at World Sailing
- Laser 2 at World Sailing
- Laser 2 at World Sailing
- Laser 2 at World Sailing
- Laser 2 at World Sailing
- Laser 2 at World Sailing
- Laser 2 at World Sailing