Optimist, Open Skiff, Youth & Olympic Sailing Blog

The secret was kept for a long time, but is now revealed.  After years of testing, the new Laser boom is finally here! It was time. The boat already benefits from a composite top mast section. And recently, a bottom mast section for the Radial was added. For certain, the boat became increasingly odd, mixing the original aluminum boom with these composite add-ons. The intensive exacting research conducted on the new composite boom will ensure that it will have exactly the same performances as the existing aluminum boom. No more bend, no less bend. Exactly the same. The new composite boom has exactly the same dimensions and diameter as the old aluminum boom. A weight compensation feature has been included so that both old and new have identical weights, something omitted with previous add-ons. The new composite boom is of course equipped with the latest carbon cleat and fittings, scientifically developed to the necessary exacting standards. What’s the key rationale to mo...

by Jean-Pierre Kiekens, Oxford educated development economist, former lecturer at the University of Brussels, and sailor. This is just a short piece to express a very straightforward viewpoint, a viewpoint of reason.  There shouldn’t be any Olympics before it is safe, and it will not be safe before we have a vaccine. While the coronavirus pandemic is growing, stock exchanges are plunging, many governments are taking draconian measures to deal with the pandemic, there is kind of a surreal approach when it comes to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. « The IOC remains fully committed to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, and with more than four months to go before the Games there is no need for any drastic decisions at this stage; and any speculation at this moment would be counter-productive. » stated the International Olympic Committee (IOC) just 2 days ago, on March 17. « The IOC encourages all athletes to continue to prepare for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 as best they c...

"che colui che inganna, troverà sempre chi si lascerà ingannare" // "he who seeks to deceive will always find someone who will allow himself to be deceived."  -- Machiavelli -- Il Principe - The Prince A recent posting by the Laser class ILCA on its official Facebook page refers to « festive #laser sailing » and features an Italian fleet of Radials. One of the sailors even wears a Santa hat. Yes, in this holiday season, you may believe there is a sense of peacefulness. That there may be a truce in the Laser disputes. It looks all perfect. Yet, is this a perfect holiday season for Laser sailors? Not really. Festive Laser Sailing ... Really? While posting this Christmas holiday picture featuring Radials, the International Laser Class Association - ILCA - has a special Christmas gift for its membership. Yes, ILCA is already acting, in a way some will call machiavellian, towards dropping the Radial and 4.7 names, along with the Laser name,...

Here is an update about Laser class developments in this end of the year 2019, a chaotic year for the Laser, which started with the « termination » of the world’s largest builder - LaserPerformance - in March, followed by a controversial and partially reversed name-change in April and the loss to the RS Aero in the World Sailing equipment trials. Yet the Laser was saved by the insistence by World Sailing member countries to keep the boat Olympic. World Sailing then worked with the Laser class on « proposed arrangements » aimed at getting the class to meet antitrust and other requirements. 4.7 ILCA Sail (4.7 Branding Has Been Removed) But the controversial « proposed arrangements » of the Laser class remain to be implemented, and undoubtedly to be legally tested. Meanwhile, there is impatience, particularly in Europe, where shortages of equipment are becoming acute, to the point that the European branch of the Laser class - EurILCA - issued an ultimatum to its mother organization...

Can Laser youth sailing survive a « perfect storm » made of avoidable equipment shortages, arbitrary rig changes and undemocratic governance? While Laser sailing is incredibly dynamic and successful in Italy, there are huge concerns expressed, informally, regarding the negative impacts of recent and expected decisions by the international Laser class, ILCA, regarding the immediate future of the Laser. Such concerns are also present in other European countries with large Laser membership, such as France, Spain and Germany. First, there is a shortage of new boats available for purchase. The previously dominant builder, LaserPerformance, remains « terminated » by the Laser Class, and despite the inspection of LP’s building facilities that took place 3 months ago, there are no signs that ILCA will re-certify LP. This was supposed to take just a few weeks, not three months. In September, the Laser class reassured World Sailing by stating it expected LaserPerforman...

Lasers, ILCA Dinghies or other "ILCA Equipment" at the 2024 Olympics? While the World Sailing Council  unanimously confirmed the Laser for the Paris 2024 Olympics, the Laser class announced that « ILCA Equipment » got approved by the World Sailing Council, thereby continuing the saga regarding the future name(s) of the boat. « The Board recommended to World Sailing's Council to confirm the appointment of the Laser as the Equipment for the Men's and Women's One Person Dinghy under the normal arrangements for an electronic vote » states the World Sailing communiqué. The communiqué by the Laser class ILCA st ates for its part that « World Sailing Council Unanimously Approves ILCA Equipment for 2024 Olympics. » There is only one mention of the Laser in the ILCA communiqué, but it’s in relation to the class, not the boat: « In May 2019, the World Sailing Council approved the re-selection of the Laser class for both Men’s and Women’s single ha...

The Aero 6: the New Rig Recommended for Women by RS Sailing The continuation of the Laser saga is now putting World Sailing in a very difficult situation. Yes, there was an August 1 deadline for the international Laser class ILCA to get FRAND and other agreements to be signed by its builders and  to get its house in order. It seems that the deadline was missed. ILCA has been betting on a highly contentious change to its internal class rules, and we don’t know yet the result of the vote by the membership. But as discussed in this blog, even if ILCA announces that the Yes won the rule change, there are substantial hurdles still to overcome. This includes whether World Sailing will approve the proposed generic or renamed boats, whether a Yes to the class rule vote, held via the inappropriate Survey Monkey app, will resist legally, and whether LaserPerformance will mount legal challenges against ILCA, dealers and other parties, which may completely paralyze the supply of hul...

One of the first things we learn with sailing is how to rig our boat. Unfortunately, we may also learn about questionable voting processes! The international Laser class ILCA launched earlier this month a vote to modifiy one of its internal regulations to allow builders to produce boats under another name, such as the ILCA dinghy, or under the form of generic boats. This vote has potentially huge commercial implications, as it would in theory allow the two remaining builders - Performance Sailcraft Japan, and Performance Sailcraft Australia - to export boats through dealers in all the regions where LaserPerformance / Velum currently holds the Laser trademarks (Europe, North America, South America, most of Asia, Africa). With the termination of LaserPerformance as a builder, there is an annual multi-million dollar market at stake for new boats, sails and parts, as LaserPerformance had over a 80% market share globally, prior to its March 2019 termination by the Laser class. Whil...