- Laser 2
The Laser 2 is a double-handed version of the popular Laser one-design class of small
sailing dinghy It is a quick, planing dinghy that differs from the laser in that it has ajib , symmetricspinnaker and a trapeze for the crew. It was designed by Australian Frank Bethwaite and was first launched as a product in Australia then North America in 1979 and in Europe in 1980. The hull is made of GRP (glass reinforced plastic). The rig is aBermudian rig sloop with spinnaker. It is designed to be a mid to high performance racer. In Britain, its most common current use is at university class in British University Sailing Association (BUSA) events. A version known as the Laser Fun was available, the same hull but featuring a reefable mainsail and a roller furling jib, and with the option of an asymmetric spinnaker (Laser Fun New Wave).As a strict one-design boat the Laser 2 is not available for amateur construction; the boat has also been discontinued as a result of the 2007 merger of its manufacturers Laser UK and
Vanguard Sailboats into Laser Performance Sailing. TheLaser Vago which features a gennaker and has been designed to be sailed single-handed as well as double-handed, is considered by some as a replacement. Frank Bethwaite's hull design for the Laser 2 was married to a new deck and rig to produce theLaser 3000 in 1996, which has since gone on to form the basis of the 3000 Class.External links
* [http://www.laser2sailing.org/ Official class website]
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