Laser 4.7
Encyclopedia
The Laser 4.7 is a one-design
dinghy class in the Laser
series and is a one-design class of sailboat. All Lasers are built to the same specifications. The Laser is 4.06 m (13 ft 10 in) long, with a waterline length of 3.81 m (12 ft 6 in). The hull weight is 59 kg (130 lb). The boat is manafactured by Laser Performance.
Lasers are cat-rigged, meaning they have only one sail. The 4.7 uses the same hull and top mast section as the Laser
, but has a different (smaller) bottom mast section and sail. The sail is only 4.7 square metres, as opposed to 7 for the Laser Standard
or 5.7 for the Laser Radial
. The smaller sail means that the 4.7 can be easily sailed by sailors weighing only 45–65 kg (100–145 lb) this boat can still be sailed competitively under and over the ideal weights.
The Laser 4.7 has been increasing in popularity around the world since the late 1990s. In some areas it is less popular than the Byte
dinghy, a very similar class also designed as a youth single-handed racing trainer, but the interchangeability of the rigs of the Laser series has always made them popular. It is popular among youth sailors graduating from the Optimist sailing dinghy, and many 4.7 sailors graduate to the Laser Radial as they progress their sailing abilities.
One-design
One-Design is a racing method where all vehicles or boats have identical or very similar designs or models. It is also known as Spec series. It is heavily used in sailboat racing. All competitors in a race are then judged based on a single start time...
dinghy class in the Laser
Laser (dinghy)
The International Laser Class sailboat, also called Laser Standard and the Laser One is a popular one-design class of small sailing dinghy. According the Laser Class Rules the boat may be sailed by either one or two people, though it is rarely sailed by two. The design, by Bruce Kirby, emphasizes...
series and is a one-design class of sailboat. All Lasers are built to the same specifications. The Laser is 4.06 m (13 ft 10 in) long, with a waterline length of 3.81 m (12 ft 6 in). The hull weight is 59 kg (130 lb). The boat is manafactured by Laser Performance.
Lasers are cat-rigged, meaning they have only one sail. The 4.7 uses the same hull and top mast section as the Laser
Laser (dinghy)
The International Laser Class sailboat, also called Laser Standard and the Laser One is a popular one-design class of small sailing dinghy. According the Laser Class Rules the boat may be sailed by either one or two people, though it is rarely sailed by two. The design, by Bruce Kirby, emphasizes...
, but has a different (smaller) bottom mast section and sail. The sail is only 4.7 square metres, as opposed to 7 for the Laser Standard
Laser (dinghy)
The International Laser Class sailboat, also called Laser Standard and the Laser One is a popular one-design class of small sailing dinghy. According the Laser Class Rules the boat may be sailed by either one or two people, though it is rarely sailed by two. The design, by Bruce Kirby, emphasizes...
or 5.7 for the Laser Radial
Laser Radial
The Laser Radial is a popular one-design class of small sailing dinghy, originally built by Laser Performance. It is a singlehanded boat, meaning that it is sailed by one person. The Laser Radial is a variant of the Laser Standard, with shorter mast and reduced sail area, allowing light sailors to...
. The smaller sail means that the 4.7 can be easily sailed by sailors weighing only 45–65 kg (100–145 lb) this boat can still be sailed competitively under and over the ideal weights.
The Laser 4.7 has been increasing in popularity around the world since the late 1990s. In some areas it is less popular than the Byte
Byte (dinghy)
The Byte is a one man sailing dinghy. It is produced by xtreme Sailing Products of Singapore and PS2000 in North America, and was previously produced by Topper Sailboats in the UK. However, Topper ceased production of GRP boats to concentrate on its rotomolded plastic designs. It is 12 ft ...
dinghy, a very similar class also designed as a youth single-handed racing trainer, but the interchangeability of the rigs of the Laser series has always made them popular. It is popular among youth sailors graduating from the Optimist sailing dinghy, and many 4.7 sailors graduate to the Laser Radial as they progress their sailing abilities.
External links
- Web site of the manufacturer, Vanguard Sailboats
- Guide to the various sizes of Laser sailboats