Blink and you missed it.....

The new 'Laser Keelboat' made a fleeting visit to the Southampton Boat Show

If you were at the Southampton Boat Show on Friday and were passing the Laser stand you might just have noticed the all new 'Laser Keelboat' on show for the first time.



This was the prototype, only launched a couple of weeks ago after a frantic fifteen week program of design and build.

The mini keelboat niche seems to be a popular area with manufacturers at the present, particularly with dinghy producers widening their range and providing somewhere for the sailor moving on from a dinghy. Just as with the dinghy market it seems there are an unlimited number a variations of what at first seems to be a limited specification.

Taking a basic six meter length and adding a keel to produce a two/three-man planing, racing dayboat seems straightforward, but by adding or taking away from that starting point we have a eclectic range of craft available.

The classic Uffa Fox Flying Fifteen design now produced by Ovington, through the former Olympic Tempest (helm, trapeze for crew), the present Olympic class the Star (two man sit-out, no spinnaker), the RS K6, a two/three man asymmetric sit-out design, to the Streamline - larger than the new Laser and featuring two of the crew on trapeze.

Following on from our earlier coverage after the announcement of the new boat at the show, designer Tony Castro was on hand talk me through his latest baby.

The design team has included Tony working with Proctor 's Chips Howarth on the rig and Hyde's Kevin Sproul and Mike Lennon on sail development.

Tony emphasized that the concept was for a sit in design with sufficient size and weight to provide maximum performance but small enough to be easily handled without dinghy sitting-out or trapezing. This seems to have been achieved with reports from the first sailing trials reporting 'security of a thoroughbred yacht, with the rudder feel and downwind dynamics (and speed) of a performance dinghy'.

This was coupled with the Laser philosophy of a solid, simply equipped boat, easy to sail and maintain, giving good value for money. Thus aluminium spars were chosen over carbon after comparing cost to performance gains likely.

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