ILCA (Laser)

Captain: Paul Gush

Co-Treasurers: Ellen and Greg Eaken

The Laser holds the distinction of being the only Olympic class boat raced at the ISC. It earned Olympic status in 1996 as a result of the size and competitiveness of the fleet worldwide, as well as the low cost and uniformity of the boats. The strict one-manufacturer, no-modifications rules eliminate expensive arms races for go-faster gear, and force the sailor to focus on the tactics, skill and fitness of the skipper.

New Lasers are inexpensive compared to other boats and hold their value owing to their robustness and longevity. More important than all that, it's a ton of fun to sail! With its light displacement and round bottom hull, the Laser is very sensitive to movements of the tiller, sheet, and body weight. When the breeze is up, it becomes challenging to sail, rewarding the skipper's hard work upwind with planning reaches and exhilarating runs!

An Olympic class boat, the Laser is sailed and raced throughout the world. The International Laser Class Association maintains very strict one-design rules, which enable the older well-maintained boats to remain competitive with newer boats. Laser Fleet #24 is part of ILCA District 18.

The Laser is a good choice for juniors since it's three interchangeable rigs, the small 4.7(m2), the Radial (5.76 m2) and the Standard (7.06 m2), enable the sail area to grow with the sailor. The Radial is the women's Olympic single handed class and many lighter men sail Radials as their first choice, or swap into them when the breeze picks up.

The Indy Laser Fleet owns a Laser, named "Ruby", equipped with a Standard and Radial rig. If you'd like to sail it, contact the fleet captain to arrange joining the fleet as an associate member.