North American Laser Class members may hear soon of Laser Performance’s introduction of their Laser ‘Club Edition’ training boat.
LP describes it as a training boat which does not bear the World Sailing Building Plaque or a Class Approved Sail Button. This of course is fine for people to purchase and use as a training boat, but we feel it is important to clarify that these boats are not Class legal based on the Fundamental Rule within the Laser Class Rules. These boats will be ineligible to compete in any ILCA / North American Laser Class Association sanctioned event. Broadly speaking (but not exclusively) this means the boat can not be used in any regattas listed on the Laser.org website.
While the North American Laser Class Association would like all Laser racing to be conducted strictly in accordance with the Class Rules, we do not consider that we should dictate to sailing clubs throughout North America over their adoption. However, we want to make them aware that they would be open to potential protest by competing sailors in the same way as a sailor using any non-compliant gear.
Note that Laser Performance has also made the statement that the Club Edition boat is “based exactly on the same Race Laser specifications”. The International Laser Class Association has no way of verifying this statement, as our Class technical officers have not been allowed to inspect the LP manufacturing facility/boats in quite some time to ensure that one-design integrity is being maintained.
This advisory statement is made solely to alert sailors wishing to compete in North American Laser Class events, that the Laser Performance ‘Club Edition’ is being marketed as a training boat and not as an ILCA approved racing boat.