ILCA (LASER) - Single Handed Dinghy
Need To Know
Class Description
- IlCA dinghies are everywhere with fleets at almost every large sailing club in the world
- ILCAs are sailed actively in 115 countries around the world
- ILCA rigs are available in 3 sizes but only the 6 (radial) and 7 (full) are sailed in most places in this area
- The smaller rig, the 4.7, is used as a training rig in Florida for the US but is raced more competitively in Europe and other places
- SSA hosts the largest local Fleet with over 100 boats on the property, year round racing and a travel team that spans east coast competition and world travel
Where To Buy (NEW)
Where To Buy (USED)
- Sail One Design
- Craigslist
- Facebook Marketplace
Cost
- A complete boat ready to race will cost about $11K new and somewhere between $4K and $8K used. If you plan to buy a used boat I would recommend purchasing one that has been sailed recently and has upgrade parts. Get a new quote so that you can compare apples to apples but I would expect about 10% depreciation per year over a new boat. Plan on purchasing a new sail to race with ($700) and spending about $300 upgrading lines and parts no matter what you buy.
Pathways
- In order to learn to sail an ILCA you are going to have to buy one. My recommendation is to talk to the Fleet Captain at SSA and he can connect you with someone who is looking to sell. Start with the radial rig locally and consider the 4.7 if you are traveling south to race. The lighter winds in Annapolis will allow a smaller sailor to succeed with the radial here most of the time and the flexibility to race with the 4.7 in bigger breeze while traveling will open up options. Once they have sailed each rig once then they can make their own decisions moving forward. Size matters in an ILCA so in heavy wind larger, fitter sailors are going to have an advantage. Sailors who master the radial should consider the full rig for Frostbiting as the level of the sailors that compete is tremendous and the learning opportunities all winter are a true hidden Annapolis secret.
- Once you are competing nationally in the ILCA there are a ton of amazing international events and a points system within the Class to qualify for some pretty amazing opportunities. If you get to that point I would reach out to someone who has done it to get the full story. (Leo's Father would be a good one!)
- (Note from an ILCA Mom) The ILCA Class skews heavily male and coming in as a 13 year old girl sailing against 18 year old boys can be intimidating, but if you are determined and competitive you will grow into it, physically and mentally, and the confidence gain from succeeding in this environment is tremendous. Plus, there has never been a better time to be an ILCA girl sailor- colleges and high school have just started women-only national championships for ILCA, and ILCA sailors are skilled skippers; they will have college sailing opportunities in both single and double-handed boats. Last, and probably best (non-gendered) reason: purchasing an expensive boat, finding a compatible partner, moving a large boat around (esp. on and off a trailer), and coordinating travel with another family are all aspects of double-handed sailing life. The ILCA dinghy, on the other hand, is easy for a mom and her daughter to transport around the country- almost as easy as the Opti.
Where It Is Sailed
- SSA
- Clearwater
- Lauderdale
- KBYC
- Hampton
- SCYC (Hilton Head)
Typical Schedule
- Winter Clinics
- Midwinters East (Florida)
- Gulf Coast (March)
- Summer - North Americans, US Champs, CORK, Great Lakes, ACC
- Orange Bowl
- High School Single Handed Qualifier (One event, top two advance)
- High School Single Handed Nationals (Top two from each region)
- CBYRA events all summer
Key Upcoming Class Events
Spare Parts
Websites
Typical Family/Travel Splits
- By their very nature ILCA sailors tend to be pretty mature and independent sailors. They spend up to eight hours on the water relatively isolated and completely focused on an outcome. That is not your average child. They also interact with a much higher percentage of adults than most fleets so they tend to mimic adult behaviors much earlier. You will not see many sailing parents hanging around ILCA events. I say all of this to point out that this group tends to figure things out on their own a lot. Shared lodging , borrowing boats etc. Which races to attend, when to go and whether to practice are decisions made between sailors or between sailors and coaches and not by sailing directors or parents. Bottom line is that there will be a ton of opportunity to support other families and sailors with shared transportation and lodging etc. Let your sailor be your guide and somehow it always works.
Ideal Size/Weight
- Because of the wide range of rig size options there is not an ideal size for this boat. It is, however, a boat that tends to be sailed by people with a fitness mindset as the hiking is hard and the days are long. Starting weight is probably around 120 and there is not a hard top end if you can find enough wind. Core exercises and hand strength are probably more important than weight. Well, that and a willingness to take ice cold water to the face all day long.
What The First Place Sailor Knows That You Do Not
- They are doing the SSA Frostbite Series
- They are attending big events with lots of boats
- They have connected with a coach who can help them personalize their learning and set reasonable expectations as they gain weight, muscle and grow
- They take care of their boat and gear with early arrivals at regattas and review of local knowledge on tides and currents
- They are sailing at least one other type of boat on a regular basis
- They are having fun
Parent Notes
- For some reason a lot of sailors are afraid of this boat when they come out of Optis. I think there is a general assumption that you need to be a certain size and that is simply not true. Learning to sail the Laser is truly a gift for life. They are everywhere on this planet and there is fun racing in almost as many places. For the rest of their lives these kids will feel empowered to hop on any single handed dinghy of any size and go have some fun. These boats are light enough for them to move around on their own and do not require teams.
- The reality is that the double handed versus single handed sailing choice really comes down to personality and what is a good fit for the families. Double handed sailing is really a continuation of the Opti lifestyle. You will be part of a team that will help you move your boat around and you will find Crew and there will be team dinners and coaching fees and everything else you have come to know. Social kids will love this environment and it is perfect for kids that kind of love sailing but really love the sport and environment. I have a son that does this and he loves it. Single handed sailing is for the more independent and single minded kids who potentially have a lot of other things going on and need more flexibility or simply the kid who thrives on their own. Size of the child, however, is really not a thing unless they are unusually small or slight and likely to stay that way. Very petite women kick butt at SSA every Sunday over the winter!
- Know this if you remember one thing from all this text. If your child keeps sailing, they will probably sail both boats anyway. In the interim, let them try both and do the one they love the most. It is supposed to be fun!
History of the Laser
The Laser is a class of single-handed, one-design sailing dinghies using a common hull design with three interchangeable rigs of different sail areas, appropriate to a given combination of wind strength and crew weight. Ian Bruce and Bruce Kirby designed the Laser in 1970 with an emphasis on simplicity and performance.
The Laser is a widely produced class of dinghies. As of 2018, there were more than 215,000 boats worldwide. It is an international class with sailors in 120 countries, and an Olympic class since 1996. Its wide acceptance is attributable to its robust construction, simple rig and ease of sailing that offer competitive racing due to tight class association controls which eliminate differences in hull, sails, and equipment.
The International Laser Class Association (ILCA) defines the specifications and competition rules for the boat, which is officially referred to as the ILCA Dinghy, due to a trademark dispute.
The boat's design began in 1969 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". Hans Fogh made the sail and helmed the prototype in the regatta. 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". In December 1970 Dave Balfour, a McGill engineering student, suggested the name Laser and contributed the Laser sail insignia. The Laser sailboat was officially unveiled at the New York Boat Show in 1971 where many purchase orders were placed.
Bruce and Kirby agreed to put the boat into production with Bruce manufacturing the craft and Kirby receiving royalties on each unit. As world-wide demand grew, they realized that regional licensing the manufacturing would deliver boats more economically than exporting them from Canada.
The Laser hull accommodates interchangeable rigs with different sail areas. This allows for a wide range of sailors to sail and compete in a range of wind conditions despite the Laser's small ideal crew weight range for a given rig. Three rigs are recognized by the International Laser Association: original Laser Standard with a sail area of 7.06 m²; the Laser Radial with a sail area of 5.76 m²; and the Laser 4.7 with a sail area of 4.7 m².
The Laser's hull is constructed from fiberglass. The deck has a foam layer underneath for strength and buoyancy. The daggerboard is removable for storage and transport. The dinghy is manufactured by independent companies under licensee in different parts of the world, including Performance Sailcraft Australia (Oceania) and Performance Sailcraft Japan.
As a one-design class of sailboat, all Lasers are built to the same specifications specified in the Laser Construction Manual. The association carries out inspections on manufacturers to ensure that boats are being made to the correct design. These factory specifications are the measurement of boats in a traditional sense. Sailors are prohibited from making any changes to the hull, sail, and spars unless specifically and positively permitted by the rules and are only allowed to use original parts. At regattas, boats are not measured, but rather inspected to ensure conformity with the rules.
The Laser hull is 4.19 m (13.75 ft) long, with a waterline length of 3.96 m (12.99 ft). The hull weight is 59 kg (130 lb), which makes the boat light enough to lift onto a car-top rack.
Text from Wikipedia
It's the most popular boat in the world. Lightweight and sensitive, you have to make corrections quickly. Steering, sheeting and body balance have to be in sync in order to make the boat perform. With truly identical boats it is only the skill of the sailor that makes the winning difference.
Kurt Taulbee - Sailor, Coach, Business Owner (SailFit Inc.)
Just enjoy it! Fitness is important—it’s an understated thing. No one knows how much work you have to put into it. You have to enjoy the struggle to enjoy the success.
Leo Boucher - Professional Sailor
ILCA EXPERT CORNER
Clay Johnson - Owner, Colie Sails
"The ILCA is one of the best boats on the planet to hone your skills. There’s nowhere to hide as fitness, tactics, and strategy are all equally imperative in this class. The boat is easy to transport, readily available, and boasts fleets all over the world. It’s no doubt that almost all of the top sailors in the world have spent some time in the ILCA."
