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Irish Laser/ILCA Sailing Dinghy News & Regatta Results
Whacky Races in Scotsman's Bay for DBSC Lasers
#laser – Older competitors (and there are a few of us) in the DBSC Tuesday night series will remember the cartoon series "Whacky Races", produced by Hanna Barbera in the 60s and 70s. Well, last night was just like that…
Ballyholme Sailors Gareth Flannigan & Charlie Taylor Win Irish Laser Masters
Last Saturday saw the start of the 2 day Irish Laser Masters event at Ballyholme Yacht Club with a number of competitors travelling from the Republic of Ireland to compete writes Aidan Pounder of Ballyholme Yacht Club. As the competitors…
Boat Handling At A Premium For DBSC Laser Dinghies
#dbsclaser – Last night saw another strong turnout in the low teens for the DBSC Laser fleet, which now has 23 paid up and entered for the series. Conditions were again gusty and shifty in an unstable south westerly. Race…
South Coast Dinghy Sailors Win Laser Ulster Honours at Lough Erne Yacht Club
#laserulsters – Royal Cork's Nick Walsh was the winner of the Ulster Laser Championships staged by Lough Erne Yacht Club in the last weekend of April. The three rig event provided racing for 4.7s, radials and full rigs. After six races over…
O'Beirne on Top of DBSC Lasers, 15–Boat Turnout For First Harbour Race
#dbsclaser – The first DBSC Tuesday Laser dinghy race drew a really encouraging turnout of 15 boats, 14 of which were Full rigs (more Radials expected post exams). Race Officer Ian Matthews wisely kept the fleet inside Dun Laoghaire Harbour…
Baltimore Sailing Club's Fionn Lyden 11th at Laser Europa Cup
#lasereuropacup – Afloat's sailor of the month for March, Fionn Lyden from West Cork was the top Irish performer at the massive qualifcation series of the Laser Europa cup Regatta at Malcesine on Lake Garda ended on Saturday with two…
Howth Laser Dinghies Confront Steep Waves for Final Frostbite Races
#laser – Seventeen Laser dinghies braved the cold blustery conditions for the final two races of Howth Yacht Club's Spring Series. It was an interesting preamble to the Round Island race on Saturday 14th March. The racing was incident packed. In the…
The Foiling Laser – Who Will Be First In Ireland?
#laser –  The invention of a new bolt-on foiling kit means the foiling experience is open to more sailors than ever before. As Afloat.ie previously reported in 2013 after four years of product and design testing, Peter Stephinson and Ian Ward…
Dublin Bay Laser Dinghies Go For 'One Night Stand' in Busy 2015 Sailing Season
#laser – As 40 Laser dinghies enter the last few weeks of typically close racing in the perennial DMYC Frostbite series, dinghy sailors are looking forward to the warmer months, especially after some subtle but significant changes by Dublin Bay…
Cull Leads Howth Yacht Club Laser Frostbites
#laser – The Howth Yacht Club Laser Frostbiters were treated to a fantastic two races this morning writes Daragh Sheridan. The race committee set a Windward / Leeward course for the first race of the day. A shift shortly before the…
Laser Master Class From Cull At Howth Yacht Club Series
#hyc – Ronan Cull continues to dominate the 40th Laser Frostbites at Howth Yacht Club. Cull showed no let up in demonstrating a master class in Laser sailing to the rest of the fleet. Concerns that the forecast of a…
Cull Leads Howth Yacht Club Laser Frostbites
#laserfrostbite – Overall Ronan Cull has a safe lead with five firsts at Howth Yacht Club's Laser frostbites series, followed by Dave Quinn and Darragh Kelleher while it's a family affair in the other fleets; Aoife Hopkins leads the radial…
Laser Sailors Enjoy More Ideal Sailing Conditions off Howth
#hyc – Howth Yacht Club sailors were treated to a mild day for the third outing races of the Laser dinghy Frosbite series off Ireland's Eye. A 12-15kt easterly made for an interesting change for sailors with a swell rolling…
Howth Yacht Club Wins for Quinn, Cull In Laser Dinghy Frostbite Series
#lasersailing – Thirty seasoned Laser sailors were greeted with a Westerly at 8knots at Howth Yacht Club for the second race of the 40th Laser winter series, slightly calmer conditions than last week! The Race Committee had their work cut…
Lasers Race for 40th Laser Frostbite Honours at Howth Yacht Club
#lasersailing – Fifteen knots of wind and bright sunshine welcomed 31 Laser dinghies on the first day of the 40th Laser Frostbites at Howth Yacht Club on Sunday morning. It was a baptism of fire for some, conservative downwind sailing…
Strong Irish Team Contest Laser Master Worlds in Hyeres
#lasermasters – There's a strong contingent of Irish competing in the Laser Masters Worlds taking place from the 4th - 11th October in Hyeres, France this week. The event has broken records for the number competing which topped out at…

About the ILCA/Laser Dinghy

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):

  • ILCA 4: sail of 4.70m2
  • ILCA 6: sail of 5.76 m2
  • ILCA 7: sail of 7.06 m2