Laser vs RS Aero

Here we go! The Laser and the RS Aero have seen a lot of head to head action lately. Here is our take on these two great single handed boats. Also, check out our notes and links:
World Sailing Report:
members.sailing.org/tools/doc...
Skip to:
Comparison - 0:32
Differences - 0:52
Aero Notes - 1:23
Laser Notes - 2:44
Our Thoughts - 4:12
We sell boats and parts for both fleets, below are the links to the new boat pages and parts pages for references:
Laser Details Page: westcoastsailing.net/laser-sa...
Laser Parts Page: westcoastsailing.net/parts/la...
RS Aero Details Page: westcoastsailing.net/rs-aero/
RS Aero Parts Page: westcoastsailing.net/parts/rs...

[@bestmoeves]

Good Video and unbiased comparison. Congrats! I've been racing them both. After five years in the Aero now it's more the details that make the difference for me. The Aero is way easier to (single-) handle on the hard. The Aero stays longer a fast boat, because the Laser races only fast when overloading tension of sail, ropes and mastbending. But the hull of the Aero is quite unforgiving , when you get in touch with your competitors or other 'obstacles'. The foamcore-sandwich keeps every deformation, caused by impact and the gelcoated gunwhale surface breakes or shows those typical little hair cracks. But I don't complain. Both of them offer so much fun. It's just awesome. And because it's a bit more awful in the Laser for an aged sailor like me, I prefer the Aero.

[@PebblesChan]

The RS Aero’s deck grip is quite rough and grippy which eats hiking pants and wetsuits for breakfast. The Laser has a much more comfortable deck. Jumping back aboard an RS Aero after a capsize is harder than the Laser and is best done with a penguin launch from the stern. The mid deck mounted traveller on the RS Aero much better than the Laser’s stern mounted one which can catch on the gunwhales. One does not have to transport a pool of water around with them on an RS Aero. An RS Aero doesn’t have the Laser’s bow wave spraying into your face when beating upwind in moderate to heavy conditions. Both are really fun to sail! If you want to get an RS Aero, make sure you get a later built one to avoid its teething problems and get its revised parts.

[@parsnipproductions8875]

gotta say I love the spray you get off the laser bow... hiking was never so refreshing

[@parsnipproductions8875]

(that being said, a wave to the face in the great lakes probably feels a lot better than in the ocean..)

[@ILCALaserSailor]

@PebblesChan Can you define "Teething" and which revised parts?

[@pebbleschan6085]

some e.g.s the mast hole/mast collar, the handgrip rails can pull out, the sheet block can pull out, kicker can pull out.

[@jjaejones]

Good video. I've had my Aero since Sept 2016 and was out in it yesterday evening having a blast across our sailing club small lake in south of UK. We are only 10 miles from RS HQ.

[@WestCoastSailing]

Good stuff!

[@bassicvegan]

I grew up sailing lasers in Exmouth, Devon on a very strong tidal estuary! Maybe it's just me but, my biggest complaint was how the main sheet would also catch on the stern of the hull when you jibe! Basically you'd have to heave off the slack as you turned by just the right amount literally as your body was spinning and whilst the boom is swinging. If it caught you were thrown into the water unless it was low wind and you had to time to lean all the way back and unhook the sheet from the corner! Literally one little change in design and this wouldn't happen!

[@WestCoastSailing]

That has always been a pain point for Lasers. There are a couple of techniques that with practice can keep the sheet from catching.

[@bassicvegan]

@@WestCoastSailing mastering that technique in gusty conditions, on the other hand...Not sure I ever did!

[@Charlie-tl4dv]

@@WestCoastSailing Is there somewhere where you can point us to see those techniques or even better.... would you madke a video? :)

[@JC-lv1tl]

I sail my aero in SF bay. People think I’m a crazy aero coolaid drinker but I happily ditched my Melges 24 and didn’t notice a speed drop off in high winds :)

[@laser14344]

I raced a 40 year old laser through high school. Original rig and center board. Rudder split in half during a race though.

[@savetheclimate2292]

The laser is not only the class with the stronger sailors. It is also the bigger class giving you more options for racing. That is so valuable especially if you enjoy racing on a regular basis. I would always join the class that allows you to race multiple regattas within a season without the need to travel thousands of miles.

[@derekstow]

If you live in New England there are plenty of RS Aero regattas you can sail, most of them within an hour or two's drive from each other. Here is the 2021 schedule. Wickford Regatta RI June 5/6 Massapoag YC Sharon MA June 12 Newport Regatta RI July 10/11 Lake Champlain YC Shelburne VT Aug 21/22 Massapoag YC Sharon MA Sep 11/12 Cedar Point YC Westport CT Oct 2/3 American YC Rye NY Oct 9/10 There is also club racing every week at Massapoag and Cedar Point YCs.

[@rydenkaye9735]

tldr as someone who has sailed both is that the aero wins for recreational sailing and the laser wins for serious racers, solely based on the caliber of competition and community support, the aero is more fun to sail imo but simply does not have active fleets or good coaching available in most parts of the world

[@WRPUS471]

I have the way the Laser sheet fouls around the corner of the transom. I'm going to sell mine.

[@gilafunk]

As someone who owned maybe one of the last Europe class dinghies in N. America (finally just fell apart), I'm now looking around for a replacement single hander. Because the Europe is a technical dinghy, the thought of going to a Laser feels like a come down (and, of course, bitterness that it more or less replaced the Europe as a lightwt. single handed Olympic boat). I've been eying the Aero as my replacement and, from you comments/comparison and other things I've heard, I think the Aero would supply the kind of sailing experience similar to my days on the Europe. Thanks for the heads up and corroborating my own findings. Likely you'll get a call from me in the spring!

[@anthonysamson3889]

Same, my Europe dinghy is sitting in the yard, 20 years on Europes, beautiful to sail altho the skipper wasn't as good as he could have been! Bought a RS Aero 2 months ago, awesome!! A lot of the Europe techniques are applicable, excellent boat. You won't look back.

[@billbergman4338]

I have an Aero. Never gone faster on a reach in a monohull in my life.

[@WestCoastSailing]

Thank you for the note! They sure go fast and in fairly moderate conditions as well which is nice.

[@nicholasstathos1387]

@@WestCoastSailing I remember thinking my 80s laser was fast and then getting on an RS Aero....wow the performance difference is night and day, as is price. Oh well, maybe one day. BTW You guys should make a video comparing the Aero and the M14.

[@WestCoastSailing]

@@nicholasstathos1387 Thank you! We have some exciting new content we are working on for this year so stay tuned!

[@deviklovecraft3835]

Get a moth 😉

[@brucebennett5354]

If we want to encourage more women and girls to sail which single handed dinghy would you suggest? Our juniors learn on bath tubs (Optimists) and to keep them engaged in the sport they want a fun boat. Or they can ride a jetski!!

[@elotersvlog]

Great video.. Nice capturing the bright sky...keep it up

[@miguelangel909]

Is the laser still suffering from mast step problems? I suffered quite a few dismastings in my time due to weak mast base. I miss my runs between the usvi and spanish vi. The beats were hell, the 3 hour long downwinds...just heaven.

[@tigersharkzh]

Does money not matter in comparing these two or do they both cost the same to buy and operate?

[@WestCoastSailing]

Thank you for your comment! There is a cost difference in buying new. Our packages for a complete, race-ready boat, covers, and dolly have around a $1,000-$2,000 difference. There is a cost difference in the sails from $100-$200 but as mentioned in the video, the Aero features full battens in the top and higher quality material which is expected to give your sail a longer life. Lines and hardware should be about the same cost between both boats. Older Laser spars have been known to bend at very up-range conditions. In recent years, the move to composite upper sections has remedied the age old "bent top section" so if you are a Laser owner, we highly recommend purchasing that section as they do not stay bent after a hard day of breezy racing. Aero spars are all composite and should not suffer any catastrophic bending in extreme conditions. How you care for your equipment plays a big part in its expected life, check out our Guides and Advice page for our recommendations on how to care for your boat, westcoastsailing.net/guides-advice. Cheers

[@haba_15]

Raced lasers for years, never needed hiking pants, never got caught under the boom when tacking. Never sailed the aero, but would like to try it. Online forums complain the aero is uncomfortable in light winds cos you're spending too much time on your knees, the wider laser decks mean you can be more comfortable in light airs

[@branvinifilms]

Thank you!

[@Andrew.Enriquez]

What would it take to win one for free I’m 14 and after sailing with two of my friends for Boy Scout camp I want to get back on the water but can’t afford a boat is there anything I could do

[@WestCoastSailing]

Shoot me an email. [e-mail]. We do not have any boat giveaways planned but I think we can find a way to get you out on the water!

[@oliverhoffman4574]

West Coast Sailing could I also do this?

[@clavapa1_old]

Personally I still prefer the laser: although older and heavier, as you said it's less twitchy and more forgiving downwind (one of the advantages of a slightly heavier boat). The Aero is not very popular in the majority of the world and honestly I'm not a fan of the hull design or the fact that they use dachron for their sails, yes, maybe it's cheaper, but it doesn't last long and it's very stretchy. I would look forward to ditch my laser for something more modern and better build, but until it stands with such an uncontrasted fleet size and second hand price, I will keep hurting my knees on it.

[@WestCoastSailing]

Thank you for sharing! The Aero is definitely still in its growth stage since its release 5 years ago. On the sail note, the designers did note that there are many choices for materials out there and they all have pros and cons. They ultimately landed on Dacron because it is generally considered, by sail-makers, the most forgiving material over a wide range of conditions. Many classes (both big boat and small boat) have weighed the pros and cons of the options available, and ultimately made the decision that they thought was best for the class. We agree that there are trade offs either way, but the beauty of one design is that at least they are all the same! The Laser class size remains unmatched to date and has definitely set the standard for large fleet dinghy sailing. We believe that the ILCA/Laser class will remain strong worldwide for many years to come. We also believe the Aero is taking off and will be a very established, world-wide, one design fleet in its course. We were expecting over 100 boats at the worlds in the Columbia River Gorge this year before current world crisis. Hopefully we will see a great turnout at the next planned worlds! Cheers

[@JC-lv1tl]

I thought it was twitchy but after a few sessions it becomes second nature and so comfortable to sail. Former laser guy myself but not racing much. More just picking a sail depending on breeze and hanging on for dear life.

[@eidosbeer7632]

The laser is for athletes, Rs aero is for sisys

[@clavapa1_old]

@@eidosbeer7632 I see you are a man of culture

[@40hills1]

You have to admit, the Aero is like a higher performance Zuma design 😁😎. I love my Zuma. 👍

[@henryhester1897]

So I faked it. Bought two Hobie Holder One 12 hulls (one to get the trailer) and fitted them with Laser recreational sails and line kits purchased through West Coast Sailing. What a ride and yes, with a Rolly Tasker jib (12’x4’) I can out run Lasers. Aeros? Probably not.

[@Top-Jimmy]

💯💯💯💯💯💯

[@martinlatimer8535]

What about the D-Zero it out Aeros the Aero and is probably what the laser should be in the modern era.

[@mehranaseelchicken3760]

Laser is heroic

[@skyak4493]

I have a laser, but I have to admit I would sail alot more if it weighed half as much like the aero.

[@yichispiritual]

Aero is by far the better. The only con is its cost and race availability. Laser is just too outdated in numerous ways, especially that you have to put the mast thru the sail....

[@joschmoyo4532]

Never sailed an aero but would be happy to try one. But if there is one sailing dinghy I hate it's the Laser. Everything about it is crap. The hull is to heavy, the rigging is ludicrously primitive, the mast is piss weak, the main sheet gets tangled on the transom, the daggerboard, less said the better. It's torture to hike, the self bailer jams, leaks and floods the cockpit. And that's on a good day. And the sail, badly cut, low powered, points like shit in a toilet bowl. But it gives bad sailors the illusion of fair competition, lol.

[@arlin411]

If you want to race, get what they race in your area.

[@simonfauser4179]

ILCA all the way man!!!

[@nolanpetrin1012]

force 5 is still the best

[@jackprior9420]

Boooo laserssss

[@ilovewindex487]

Nah man the Zuma is obviously the best

[@Satisfyer007]

@@jackprior9420 láser is kind of ironing table with a sail

[@Priidik1524]

hi g

[@oliverhoffman4574]

Where is a location?

[@WestCoastSailing]

The Aero sailing is in the Columbia River Gorge at Cascade Locks. The Laser footage is a mix of Vancouver BC and some from Southern California.

[@oliverhoffman4574]

West Coast Sailing I meant for one og your stores?

[@cherevao]

The Forger they are located in Portland Oregon. I think they deliver they’re boats

[@oliverhoffman4574]

Olga Cherevatenko ok I thought so

[@WestCoastSailing]

@@oliverhoffman4574 Yes, we are located in Portland, OR but ship worldwide!

[@ross.venner]

I went through the process of selecting a new single handset last year. Settled on a lowrider Moth. No comparison, blasts Lasers and Spirals for dead. An active community of highly knowledgeable sailors who (mostly) build their own boats. Want light weight, try a scow, 22 kg in plywood, 15 kg in carbon fibre. I had a Laser 50 years ago. Disappointing then and almost arcahic now. So sad that sailing can't move on.

[@fabmanly1070]

In my country a brand new Aero costs $17,500. Thats with nothing, no foil covers, no beach trolley, no cover, nothing.................

[@F_Tim1961]

FAB Manly should have advised that his country is NzL that price works out to be about 12800 USD at current time May 2021. There is probably a fair bit of money in that number for transport cost from country of Mafr. TE. Fidler NOminal USD price from current RS Aero site is - (as per date of this posting) Select Boat Type RS AERO RS AERO Price: $9,395.00 Choose options (RS AERO) UK price is Pd STG 7400 which converts to 10,425 USD at current exchange rates. The difference between the 10,425 USD equiv and 12800 USD in Nz is transportation of 20 000 km and Nz GST However UK VAT is 1.2 multiplier and the NZ GST is a 1.15 multiplier ie a reduction of approx 0.96. $ 2400 USD for transportation half way around the world and some local agent's mark up sounds about right.