The Irish Laser fleet returns to Cork Harbour this weekend for its 'Connacht' Championships at Royal Cork Yacht Club
Credit: Bob Bateman
65 Lasers from over 30 clubs around the country across three fleets – 4.7’s, Radial and Standard Rigs are heading for the Connacht Championships in Cork Harbour this weekend.
Twelve Masters have signed up to hone their racing skills at the Royal Cork Yacht Club before this September’s Laser Master Worlds in Dun Laoghaire following May's staging of the Irish Masters at the Royal St. George Yacht Club.
Race Officer Ciaran McSweeney and Assistant David O’Brien will hold racing at Cuskinny.
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The ILCA, formerly known as the Laser, is the most produced boat in the world, with 220,000 units built since 1971.
It's easy to see why the single-handed dinghy has won the title of the most widely distributed boat of all time.
The Laser is a one-design dinghy, the hulls being identical but three rigs that can be used according to the size and weight of the sailor.
The class is international, with sailors from 120 countries. The boat has also been an Olympic class since 1996, being both the men's and women's singlehanded dinghy.
Three rigs are recognised by the International Laser Class Association (ILCA):
Designer Bruce Kirby & Ian Bruce
Year 1969
Crew 1
Draft 0.787 m (2 ft 7.0 in)
Hull weight 58.97 kg (130.0 lb)
LOA 4.2 m (13 ft 9 in)
LWL 3.81 m (12 ft 6 in)
Beam 1.39 m (4 ft 7 in)
Mainsail area 7.06 m2 (76.0 sq ft)
Racing D-PN 91.1 RYA PN 1088 PHRF 217
Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine
