Welcome to our newest Laser newsletter

by . on 11 Aug 2009 We are sending you this newsletter because you are one of many sailors that have expressed an interest in the most popular dinghy in the world.

Canadian triple Olympian Bruce Kirby designed the Laser in 1969. 40 years on we recently did an indepth interview with him, to discover the real story about the Laser – What was the design brief? Was the first sketch on a napkin in a restaurant? Here is Part One of our interview

The cost of regularly upgrading to a new Laser is less than the cost of cappuccinos. Clive Humpris, technical officer for the International Laser Class Association has an angle that might work for you at home

Now is absolutely the best time to trade in your late model Laser for a new boat, with dealers across Australia and New Zealand offering smashing deals! If you have been putting off trading in your beloved Laser, rest assured that a quick trip to your local dealer will probably result in you leaving with a new boat. Laser dealers have been literally overwhelmed with requests for late model boats and so they’re offering sensational deals on new stock.

Chris Caldecoat from Performance Sailcraft Australasia, the Central Coast based Laser manufacturer, said that the Win a Laser competition currently running on Sail-World.com has triggered the surge of interest in late model Lasers.

‘The response to the Sail World competition has been phenomenal. We’ve had a huge number of replies…and people are looking for late model boats. A lot of them are newcomers to the Laser, who just want to save that one thousand or two thousand dollars off the price of a new boat, but don’t necessarily want to buy something too old, so they’ve still got their resale value.’ Why are sailors buying Lasers in the middle of a recession? Find out here

‘I’ve got a lot of dealers screaming for trade-ins! We encourage anyone to see their local dealer about trading their late model Laser in for a new one, so we can get more out there.’

At last count over three thousand people had entered Sail-World's Win a Laser competition with the PSA factory reporting the need to hire new staff to keep up with the demand it has generated.
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Caldecoat commented that the competition had generated interest from people of all ages and walks of life, with the largest number of entries coming from the Masters demographic and parents with young children.

'The kids have been flocking to the 4.7 and I think that parents are too, strictly for the fact that they’ve got a safe bet investing in a Laser.’

‘They’ve got a good resale value, which is handy if Johnny decides that he doesn’t want to sail it in six months time… or if he grows in spurts, then they’ve only got to spend a small amount of money to change the rig from a 4.7 to a Radial, so Lasers are a pretty safe bet in this economic environment.’

Its clear that the Lasers Masters scene goes from strength to strength, with the NSW Masters scene 'bigger than Ben Hur' and the upcoming World Masters Games sparking a renewal of interest in the Radial class. But even we were surprised by the large number of Masters who were keen to win a brand new Laser.

The field was pretty evenly divided between people wanting to get back into sailing via the Laser class and current sailors looking to upgrade their existing boat. Another surprising result from the competition was the number of Masters sailors who said they wanted coaching, with 'one-on-one' coaching selected as the most popular option.

Caldecoat said PSA is in the process of putting together a coaching package for new and current Laser sailors. ‘The message is that coaching works, just like in any sport’.

In the meantime get down to your local Laser dealer for some truly fantastic trade-in deals on late model boats!


Have you heard about the new Laser mainsheet blocks? A new Laser block system, 50 years after the original design. The new system is stronger and reduces friction making it easier for the main to be released when sailing off the wind and in light airs. !

And don’t forget to enter the Sail-World Win a Laser competition! You will need to answer 20 quick questions and in 25 words or less convince our judges that you are the worthy winner. The total package is valued at Australian retail $9200 or NZ retail $11495 and includes boat, spars, foils, sail, sail numbers, battens, turbo kit, rope kit, tiller and extension and beach dolly. Enter online now to win a choice of a Laser 4.7, a Laser Radial or a Laser Standard sailing boat, built by Performance Sailcraft Australa.

We have more interesting news today.

New Zealand Sea Scouts chose the popular international one-design two-handed RS Feva for its Learn to Sail training vessel and After School Sailing program. An ideal boat for the step up from Optimists

As well as Lasers and RS dinghies, Performance Sailcraft are also selling and supporting the Olympic class windsurfer - the RS:X. Here is the report from the RS:X titles Nationals in Port Stephens

Performance Sailcraft has put their weight behind Australia’s premier Sabot event, sponsoring the Sabot Nationals due to be held at Gosford Sailing Club later this year. Read about it

For more information on the Laser, RS Feva and RS:X contact Performance Sailcraft:

Performance Sailcraft Pty Ltd
Lot 7 Catamaran Road, Ourimbah NSW 2258
Australia
http://www.lasersailing.com.au

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