Laser 5000 Buyer's Guide
The Laser 5000 is a Phil Morrison–designed 16.4-foot twin-trapeze skiff, built as a one-design racer with wide wings and a weight-equalisation system that levels crews of differing size. On the used market it presents as a focused grand prix dinghy rather than a cruiser, and buyers should weigh its athletic demands against the durability of its simple, solid construction.
Layouts on the Used Market
There is no cabin or accommodation in the conventional sense; the 5000 is an open skiff whose layout centers on the daggerboard case, adjustable racks, and a vast spinnaker bag aft. An area behind the daggerboard case accepts shaped lead corrector weights in 1 kg increments, and a calibrated plank establishes crew center-of-gravity height so rack settings can be looked up in tables. The racks extend and lock with pins to match righting moment, keeping the boat's Power Factor consistent across combined crew weights of 130 to 170 kg.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
A spinnaker is commonly fitted, consistent with the boat's kite-only hoist requirement of bearing away onto a run. Beyond that, the meaningful equipment for a buyer clusters around sail handling and crew security: the Harken roller-furling jib, foot-straps for helm and crew, and the boom-mounted elastic opener on the crocodile spinnaker bag define how the boat is sailed. The Proctor rig and Hyde sails are standard, with the 2:1 jib sheet highly loaded but lacking a ratchet block, so a buyer should confirm sheet hardware and trapeze lines are intact rather than expect comfort-oriented additions.
What to Inspect
The lower rudder fitting failed on a test boat when the ordinary bolts holding the lower gudgeon failed under sail, so inspect the gudgeon bolts and rudder heel fitting closely for any sign of movement or previous failure. The centerboard lies stowed under the chute bag and is practically fixed in place, and on one review boat it buzzed loudly when full-on reaching; check the foil and its case for wear or vibration damage. Also confirm the cockpit strings are organized, as the lines in the stern tended to look like a bird's nest if left untidy, and verify the front-of-mast rig-tension purchase and under-boom outhaul operate as far as their limited adjustment allows.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Typical markets for the Laser 5000 are Switzerland. For a shopper, the short checklist is: confirm the lower gudgeon bolts are sound, test the daggerboard for buzz or binding, verify the equalisation weights and rack pins are present, and accept that this is not a boat for the weak or feeble but a durable, simple skiff for coordinated twin-trapeze crews.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Laser 5000. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 1 row
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 26 | 1 | $3,077 | — |
Where they're listed
Laser 5000 listings appear across 1 country. Switzerland has the most listings with 1.
Country view
1 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Switzerland | $3,077 | 1 | 0 | 100.0% |