Laser/ILCA Builders
- Thread starter LTFF
- Start date
WCB
Super Anarchist
Part of it depends on where you live. In the USA, you can choose from a few at the moment; Ovington, Zim, and E6. PSA is working on coming here too and maybe Devoti will make it one day, and there's a North American builder in the works.
That said, PSA is by far the most experienced but again if you're in the US, they aren't here yet I don't believe. My money is on Ovington and I'm hoping/planning to buy one from West Coast Sailing next year to hand my Laser Performance over to my boys.
That said, PSA is by far the most experienced but again if you're in the US, they aren't here yet I don't believe. My money is on Ovington and I'm hoping/planning to buy one from West Coast Sailing next year to hand my Laser Performance over to my boys.
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Gouvernail
Lottsa people don’t know I’m famous
Awl lays hers aaargh egg act Lee the sayme
WCB
Super Anarchist
That's good to know. Now we just need Devoti and the new NA builder and one can collect the whole set.
WCB
Super Anarchist
Technically, yes, but those Ovingtons are finished to a level that my LP was not and I can imagine that attention to detail would be present throughout the rest of the build.
Gouvernail
Lottsa people don’t know I’m famous
In fact PSA was here first. ESP in Florida were selling in 2019, US One Design, Colie Sails, and Vela LA came on in 2020. Long before any of the new builders.
WCB
Super Anarchist
I stand corrected...that's great. My information of them not being in the US was probably a mistake in inferring what was being said as I spoke with the lawyer who represented Bruce Kirby in the license lawsuit with LP. He said that PSA asked him to be the US distributor and I thought it would be odd for a lawyer to become a distributor and I took that to mean that they weren't in the US at the moment but clearly they were already coming in to ESP and they must have been interested in being able to come in with quantity to a distributor who could warehouse here.
Major Tom
Super Anarchist
You can keep telling yourself that forever, but you are very wrong and will always be very wrong about this.
RobbieB
Super Anarchist
Well, when you look at the results of high-level regattas that have several of the new builders represented it's interesting to see that the places are evenly spread out. There may be some differences in quality of "finishing touches" but there's no speed difference that's been noticed. It would make sense that a boutique builder like Ovi would put out a better finished product than a mass builder going for quantity. However, I'm wagering, (and from early regatta results) all of the new builders are sticking to the build manual which ultimately leads to boats built within a specification to keep them all competitive amongst one another and have similar competitive lifespans.
Bill5
Right now
I am thinking Gouv is being a bit sarcastic…
SimonN
Super Anarchist
The quality of all the builders is more than good enough and if there is a difference in performance (which I doubt) and you are good enough to benefit, then you will already know the answer. In other wo0rds, buy whichever is available at the best price and you cannot go wrong.
Bill5
Right now
Historically, build quality - not just fit and finish - has been inconsistent. I think the class has left those days behind.
WCB
Super Anarchist
Bored Stiff
Member
I do know that at least one builder has cut up a rival build to see why it was apparently faster. Not going to mention names.
RobbieB
Super Anarchist
That's a lot of cost and effort for something that is "apparently' faster...It would also be interesting to hear how someone came to the determination that a boat was flat out faster than another on all angles of sail.
Der_Dude
Anarchist
... there was a statement by German Laser sailor Philipp Buhl after the Barcelona Worlds last year that the boats weren't "equal":
https://www.yacht.de/regatta/alle_news/finale-bei-der-ilca-7-weltmeisterschaft-vor-barcelona
This might very well have been due to his frustration. He was clearly not happy with the way the regatta was run.
https://www.yacht.de/regatta/alle_news/finale-bei-der-ilca-7-weltmeisterschaft-vor-barcelona
This might very well have been due to his frustration. He was clearly not happy with the way the regatta was run.
LTFF
Member
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I have a 2017 Laser Performance now and it feels worse than my 1994 vanguard that I got for free after it was t-boned 2x and had severe bow damage from being used as a club hull for junior sailing. I haven't been too hard on the 17' one. I chartered a PSA boat last summer and lucked out with a brand new hull, the difference was noticeable the first day or so but not as much after, still a better hull feel with the PSA then the LP. Really I just want whatever is going to hold up the longest.
