Design and Construction
Farr's hull measures 28.41 feet overall with a 23.58-foot waterline and a beamy 9.48 feet, and the structure is fibreglass with a Termanto PVC foam core in both hull and deck. The early boats were hand-laid, while later examples shifted to a closed-mold process, a change that marks the production span without altering the essential laminate scheme. The 1,500-pound ballast and fin-keel configuration sit beneath a 4.98-foot draft, and the boat carries an internally mounted spade rudder. At 3,950 pounds displacement the Laser 28 is strikingly light for its length, which explains much of its PHRF average of 123 and a quoted hull speed of 6.51 knots.
Rig and Sail Plan
The Laser 28 is a fractional sloop with a 31.10-foot foretriangle height and a 9.65-foot base, matched to a mainsail luff of 33.14 feet and a foot of 12.96 feet. Total sail area is 364.80 square feet, split between a 214.75-square-foot main and a 150.06-square-foot jib-genoa. Production sail inventories listed a 242-square-foot mainsail, a 162-square-foot 106 percent "lapper" jib, a 123-square-foot working jib, optional 230-square-foot genoa, and two spinnakers of 610 and 670 square feet the boat carries a spinnaker as standard equipment. The light displacement and fractional rig give the boat a lively performance profile reflected in its racing handicap.
Power and Equipment
Prototypes were fitted with Honda four-stroke gasoline engines coupled to a Volvo saildrive, but production boats were delivered with a Bukh 8SME diesel of 8.2 horsepower. The small diesel is consistent with the boat's racing orientation, where auxiliary power is largely for harbor maneuvering and battery charging rather than sustained motoring.
Ownership and Class Culture
Unusually for the period, the Laser 28 was not sold through Performance Sailcraft's existing dealer network; instead it was placed through direct representatives who themselves owned and sailed the boats and organized class events. That structure created a tightly knit one-design-style community around what was otherwise a production keelboat, and it helps account for the boat's coherent identity despite a short six-year build run.
The Verdict
The Laser 28 is a purpose-built light-displacement Farr design that rewards sailors who want race-level responsiveness in a 28-foot package, backed by a foam-cored fibreglass structure and a distinctive owner-driven class organization. Its minimalist cruising accommodation and tiny diesel are trade-offs, not oversights, in a boat engineered to be quick and easy to trail or dock.
Pros
- Very light 3,950 lb displacement with 1,500 lb ballast and fin keel for crisp handling
- Foam-cored fibreglass hull and deck in both hand-laid and closed-mold builds
- Full spinnaker inventory and fractional rig with strong sail-area-to-weight balance
- Cohesive owner-representative sales model that built an active class culture
Cons
- 8.2 hp Bukh diesel is minimal auxiliary power
- Short production span (1984–1990) limits used supply
- Not distributed through normal dealers, complicating traditional brokerage search
