Design and Construction
Castro's brief from Laser was to produce something really special that others had failed to do, and the result is a small, lift-keel sportsboat with a moderate hull shape showing no hollows forward, a moderately firm bilge turn, and a flat run. The hull laminate is epoxy with a foam core, and internal frame and bulkheads provide strength and rigidity. The keel sits far aft and is a low-aspect T-bulb on a stainless steel main member with an epoxy foam core and polyester skin carrying a lead bulb of roughly 770 pounds; a removable gantry raises and lowers it for trailering. The rudder is epoxy with an epoxy foam core and carbon reinforcement. One unglamorous detail is the "coffee can lid" hull-to-deck joint, which the manufacturer's own notes concede is not pretty, yet the boat's very high ballast ratio and stiff water behavior are products of that deep, aft-placed lead. Stainless steel rails on the deck edge physically prevent hiking, enforcing the sit-in rule that the high stability makes possible.
Rig and Handling
The SB3 is a fast and exhilarating three-man sportsboat with a powerful modern rig built around a deck-stepped Proctor Selden 4028 alloy double-spreader mast with a 400mm angled backstay crane and a super-stiff Selden boom. Swept shrouds and masthead cap shrouds support a large asymmetrical chute, and a split backstay tackles to eyebolts on the transom corners. The generous sail plan carries a non-overlapping, battened jib on a three-hole clew plate and a non-reefable mylar combitec mainsail with one full-length and three short battens. A 46-square-metre gennaker on a retractable carbon pole drives excellent downwind pace. Writing in Sailing World, testers found the boat locks into a groove upwind without a fight, and downwind it is an incredibly stable platform with remarkable speed; they noted it was nearly impossible to unintentionally fall off a plane, and the flared gunwales keep it relatively dry upwind. The long-throw traveler makes light-air twist easy, while the high-aspect keel keeps it on its feet when a puff would tip a dinghy.
Accommodations and Cockpit
This is a legs-in sportboat where all crew face into the boat for easy communication and a comfortable, dry ride, and Castro's layout is comfortable for three to four. The cockpit is clean and uncluttered, with most controls based around the mast base and all rope tails led to pockets on the gennaker bag; the enormous launching bag at the forward cockpit edge simplifies sets and takedowns. Large windows in the Mylar main and jib give wide visibility racing, and the internal loads are light—more high-performance dinghy than keelboat—so the three crew race without the aches of highly physical sailing. A fourth crew member is allowed if required, under a 270 kg upper crew limit.
Known Issues
The class rules put a tight rein on modifications: the boats come complete and nothing can be changed, and sails are only available from Hyde Sails through Laser, which a reviewer flagged as a potential cost consideration rather than a fault.
Refits and Ownership
Strict one-design rules mean there is little to refit; the boat is economic to buy and maintain, and its Harken fit-out with Carbo Block and Hexaratchet gear plus a Spinlock halyard cleating system is supplied complete. It can be rigged and launched in about 45 minutes by two people, towed behind a mid-sized car at roughly 1,309 pounds, and enjoyed by all age groups, which explains much of its fleet growth.
The Verdict
The Laser SB3 is a genuinely clever small sportboat: a stiff, dry, legs-in platform that planes readily, trails easily, and races under tight one-design control that protects fleet value. Its limits are those of the format—no reefing, no hiking, and a closed equipment spec—but for three or four sailors wanting exhilarating one-design speed without dinghy-level punishment, it is hard to better.
Pros
- Incredibly stiff and stable for its size, with a high-aspect keel that prevents tipping
- Quick to rig, launch, and tow; easy trailering via lift keel and retractable rudder
- Clean, legs-in cockpit with all controls at the crew's fingertips and excellent visibility
- Strict one-design rules and complete factory fit-out protect class fairness and resale
Cons
- Mainsail is non-reefable and hiking is physically prevented by deck rails
- Sails only available from Hyde through Laser, a potential cost constraint
- No owner modifications permitted under tight class rules
