Laser Performance
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| Private company | |
| Industry | Dinghy sailing |
| Founded | 1969 |
| Headquarters | Europe: Long Buckby, England North America: Norwalk, CT |
| Website | www |
LaserPerformance is an Anglo-American dinghy manufacturer- the world's largest producer of small sailboats. LaserPerformance manufactures many sailboats including: Laser, Sunfish, Laser Pico, Bug, Laser Vago, Laser Bahia, Club FJ, Club 420, Vanguard 15, Dart 16, Funboat, Z420 and Optimists.
They are most well known for the Sunfish and The Laser – a single handed boat which is sailed in the Summer Olympic Games. Over the last 60 years, the Sunfish has become the most popular recreational sailboat in history. The Laser is widely accepted as the world’s most popular adult & youth racing class.
LaserPerformance is also well known for its Sunfish Stand Up Paddleboards and Seitech dollies and racking systems.
On a phone call between Canadians Bruce Kirby and Ian Bruce in 1969, the pair discussed the possibility of a car-topped dinghy (a boat small enough to be carried on a roof rack of a typical car) for a line of camping equipment. Kirby resultantly sketched out what would be known as "the million dollar doodle." Following his "doodle" Kirby developed working drawings that Ian Bruce used to develop the Laser.
The plans stayed with Kirby and Bruce until 1970 when One Design and Offshore Yachtsman magazine held a regatta for boats under $1000, called "America's Teacup." After a few sail modifications, the Laser easily won its class.
The prototype was originally named the "Weekender"; the sail held the letters TGIF, a common American abbreviation for "Thank God It's Friday." Ian Bruce renamed the boat the "Laser" (after the scientific mechanism), and officially unveiled at the New York Boat Show in 1971.
The first world championship was held in 1974 in Bermuda. The Laser became a men's Olympic-class boat at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, with a special Olympic edition of the boat released that year in commemoration. A version with a smaller sail, the Laser Radial, was first sailed as a women's Olympic-class boat at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Followed by a youth version known as the 4.7.
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Wikipedia