Laser Standard Sailboats for Sale

The Laser Standard, now technically designated as the ILCA 7 in international competition, is arguably the most influential onedesign racing dinghy ever conceived. Designed by Bruce Kirby and Ian Bruce in 1970, the vessel was originally marketed as the "Weekender" before its debut at the New York Boat Show in 1971. Its design philosophy centers on extreme simplicity: a lightweight, 13foot9inch fiberglass hull that can be easily cartopped and rigged in minutes. The hull is a strict onedesign, meaning every boat is built to identical specifications to ensure that racing results are determined by the skill of the sailor rather than the depth of their wallet. While the "Standard" rig refers to the original 7.06squaremeter sail, the hull is a versatile platform that supports two primary siblings: the Laser Radial (ILCA 6), which uses a shorter lower mast section and a 5.76squaremeter sail, and the Laser 4.7 (ILCA 4), designed for lighter youth sailors. According to the International Laser Class Association, this modularity allows a sailor to progress from youth sailing to Olympiclevel competition using the exact same hull.