Laser Vago looks the business at London Boat Show

by Sail-World/G New on 9 Jan 2006 The major dinghy manufacturers were out in force at the London Boat Show, they represent a small percentage of the diverse UK dinghy racing scene in class terms but now produce the majority of new boats sold. The production numbers for the racing dinghy built by a many builders to a standard design have now dwindled as the manufacturer one-design classes have taken over.

Well to the forefront in this change have been Laser - the ubiquitous Laser singlehander founding a production line of racing and sailing dinghies. Looking at the packed Laser stand, one dinghy that caught my eye was the new Laser Vago - new that is to me - as it has been in production since July last year.

The thing that stopped me as I wandered through the massed ranks of the Laser range, a range that now stretches from the a mini Funboat, through the Laser variants and the family sized Stratos to the high performance sportboat SB3, was the sheer good looks of the Vago. Just looking at it you felt this looks right - and with most boats if they look right they are right.

Like the other major players, Laser have widened and then filled in the gaps of their range. With two Olympic classes in the range already they have a head start over the competition. The addition of the SB3 sportsboat took them into a new and very successful area, but several of their earlier asymmetric designs are looking jaded against the newer, lighter designs.

The Laser 4000 soldiers on, with a dedicated following giving great racing but all the companies are looking to capture the difficult young market as they come out of the youth boats and look into the mainstream classes. To do this they needed something new because it has to be up to the minute in looks and performance - fun and fast.

Of course this brings up the 'oh not another class' cry. But what are the manufactureres to do? There is only a market for so many replacement Laser 5000 or 4000s, to the young generation coming through they are not in the equation.

The venerable 420 has the organised junior two man market, and the 29er has swept in to raise the bar with its mini Olympic 49er pedigree, and a double trapeze version is waiting in the wings.

At 4.20m the Laser Vago is shorter than the 29er and the new RS500, which will be vying for a share of the same market. The hull is a Polyethylene tri-skin foam sandwich and the moulding looks and feels tough. In the typical modern, open deck style, the wide side deck provides a comfortable sitting out area as well as a stable platform for the crew to trapeze off, with a neat inboard moulding to provide a push off or half-way step. Sufficient flare should provide a reasonably dry ride and good righting moment even if just hiked. Controls are kept simple and a centreboard makes sailing in restricted waters less damaging.

A gnav type boom control ensures plenty of cockpit room for the crew and a furler for the jib allows sail to be reduced easily for launching. On the standard rig a form of single-line slab reefing is incorperated for the mainsail. The deck beam stepped mast and boom are aluminium Selden spars, keeping to the Laser simple format, with a simple single spreader set-up and high positioned lowers making forward access easy.

In typical modern marketing style, two versions are available to provide plenty of option choice. The hull and rig are the same, the sail area is the difference - engine-size in Laser speak. Sails are by Hyde, the performance pack of the XD version adds a larger Mylar mainsail and asymmetric spinnaker (genneker) - Up from 8.0sqm to 9.32sqm for the main and from 11.38sqm to 13.0sqm for the genneker. Both versions accept a trapeze for the crew. This allow a mix and match upgrade process - replace the main, add a trapeze and finally add the bigger asymmetric for the full performance version as ability and confidence grows.

Laser claim a PY of 1000 which puts it neatly between the 420 at 1087 and the 29er at 924. Price? Well the standard is £4115 and the XD full-on version £4630 or under £5000 with a combi.

Andy Hart took me through the details at the show, now the last time he did that was when I sailed the prototype SB3 with him and he assured me they had a winner and would build a hundred! Well, he is just as enthusiastic about the Vega and sure that they have another winner - with over 300 sold since July it would seem Andy is on another sure bet.

Laser Vago stats:

Length - 4.20 m
Beam - 1.56 m
Hull weight - 85 kg
Mainsail - std - 8.00 sqm
Mainsail - XD - 9.32 sqm
Jib - 2.68 sqm
Genneker - std - 11.38 sqm
Genneker - XD - 13.00 sqm

London Boat Show stand N1817

Website : http://www.lasersailing.com