The Fleet

The Seattle Laser Fleet (SLF) is a member of District 6 of the North American region of the International Laser Class Association. The charter of the fleet is to promote Laser racing and Laser activities in the Seattle area.

Other active fleets in the district include Victoria and Vancouver BC; Portland and Eugene Oregon; Bellingham, Edmonds, Tacoma, and Olympia WA. SLF members travel to all of these destinations to attend regattas. Camaraderie and hospitality within the district is second to none with local fleet members offering housing to visiting sailors.

Fleet members race regularly on Puget Sound. The Email List is also a great way to get information and communicate with your fellow Laser sailors. If you have any questions please contact any of the members listed on the Contacts page.

Laser Sailing

The Laser is a popular one-design sailing dinghy designed by Bruce Kirby. The design is simple to rig and sail and is quite sturdy. However, it is also a high performance sail boat capable of exacting and close competitive racing.

Here is a bit of history from Wikipedia.

History

The boat's history began with a phone call between Canadians Bruce Kirby and Ian Bruce. While discussing 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, Bruce Kirby sketched what would be known as "the million dollar doodle". The plans stayed with Kirby 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". It was renamed Laser and officially unveiled at the New York Boat Show in 1971. The Laser became a men's Olympic-class boat in 1996, and a special Olympic edition of the boat was released that year in commemoration. A version with a smaller sail, the Laser Radial (see below), was first sailed as a women's Olympic-class boat in 2008.

The first world championship was held in 1974 in Bermuda. Entrants came from 24 countries, and first place was won by Peter Commette from the United States. It then became an Olympic venue at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. Arguably the greatest champion of the Laser Class is Robert Scheidt (nickname "El Demolidor") from Brazil; he won the world championship eight times and won two gold and one silver Olympic medals.