Oxford Sailing Club has possibly the most active inland Laser fleet in the south of England. That's a big claim: on Sundays we often have more Lasers on the start line than the other club fleets put together. We actively encourage all three Laser rigs: Standard, Radial and 4.7. The fleet is probably equally split between Standards and Radials, with prizes for both but the 4.7 is proving increasingly popular with Oxford's women sailors in stronger winds. We actively encourage youngsters into the 4.7 to gain confidence before stepping up to the Radial.
The Laser Fleet has its own start in each sequence of race starts. If you are new to racing, or just new to the Laser, you may want to race with the Novice fleet, at least for the first few times; the Laser start-line can be a bit intimidating to the inexperienced.
The Laser is cheap to own, depreciates very little, and while it looks like something you keep your lifebuoy in, it is the most demanding tactical boat of any sailboat. The strict one-design means that you have exactly the same equipment as the World Champion.
If you're trying to decide which rig to buy, the suitable Laser weight ranges are:
Standard Rig: 75 - 85 kilos. Men's Olympic Open Class Singlehander. Over 90 kilos and you'll be too heavy. Any less than 75 and you'll struggle in windy conditions. Very exhilarating offwind when it's windy, but you'll need fast reactions.
Radial Rig (5.7 Sq.metres): 65 - 75 kilos. The Women's Olympic Singlehander and the ISAF Youth Single-hander. A smaller but more powerfully-cut sail, often as fast upwind as a Standard rig, but loses out downwind. When its honking the Radial's reduced sail area makes it more controllable than the Standard, but its power can catch you out; you can't flatten it to the same extent.
4.7 Rig (4.7 Sq. metres): suitable for sailors 45 - 70 kilos. 45 kilos is the absolute minimum weight for a 4.7. Why? The 4.7 goes turtle quickly, and you won't be heavy enough to get it upright again if you're any lighter than 45 kg. For heavier sailors the 4.7 can be a real blast in about Force 6-7, but the sail won't last long. At one of the early World Championships the winner was 80kg.
Used Lasers are often available. Many members are expert at assessing used Lasers, and will help you chose a good boat.
To sum up - Oxford has an active fleet of Lasers, the single-hander that’s an improper boat! If your looking for a singlehander and don’t fancy the Solo this is a boat to give serious consideration to. If you want more information on Laser sailing at Oxford, please email me, Nick Livingstone, Laser Fleet Captain, or phone me on 01491 833559. If you get pointed in my direction at Oxford SC I'll be happy to chat, but this is probably not a good idea within the half-hour before the start of a race - I'm usually late.
Click here to go to Laser Class Association
