Building Lasers is a Labor of Love

An inside look at the people, precision and passion that goes into the making of a Laser at the LaserPerformance factory in Banbury, UK.

[@Dan-qr2zz]

Very cool. Grew up sailing my dads laser. He still sails the laser, hull number 940, his buddy has 152. They are still both going strong.

[@cdczmb8492]

Damn! Mine is 187179 😅

[@MrMaulwurf]

nice to see the pepole you support when you buy one. And thank you very much for this awesome boat!

[@TheChicalozza]

I actually own a laser and it's pretty cool seeing how it's built.

[@henrymyrick789]

this gives me a warm fuzzy feeling ilike it

[@shawnieleaf2277]

I really like the way that this video was edited.

[@stephenjames674]

This process is antiquated.

[@firstlast7719]

Interesting, I am cleaning up my well used Laser built 35 years ago. Heavily oxidized is coming out amazing. Lots of elbow grease wet sanding 400 600 1000 and then 3M compounding and wax.

[@rob34024]

they don't even use a drilling/screwing jig for the rudder fittings!?! no wonder they're so often not aligned right..

[@floh7549]

Very impressive!

[@wrybread]

Very cool video, well done.

[@UnkleSi]

Awesome vid! 180211 still going strong over in New Zealand :-)

[@hewy_y7998]

182033 still good in usa!

[@igjaaaiiiimee637]

219712 Still good on Spain

[@nagow_360]

185220 going strong

[@chrismoon6741]

I used to work here 24 years ago as the finisher for Laser 2's ...interesting job, shit management.

[@barthglennh]

HI Chris, do you have any pictures of the internal guts of a Laser 2? Mine is getting soft on the deck where you sit and would love to rebuild this. Great boat that I bought new in 1987.

[@Aerial812]

Glenn Barth there are some photos you can find from searching online if you are still looking.

[@cominginloaded]

Sure seems like an archaic way to build a production small sailboat used in the Olympics. Can definitely see where some automation in the production process would result in a better built, more consistently built boat. When Kirby gets to select Torch builders, then maybe this can be revisited.

[@reginaldbeginald]

wait a minute, aren't those kirby torches?

[@robertlaird6746]

I've had three Lasers. My first was 110818.

[@sprintosailor2663]

Fantastic video but not so sure about the quality of the boats

[@wrcrew8851]

These boats are built with the ass

[@scattrr]

I really want a Laser :E Best boat out there~!

[@egeozgul6862]

finn is much better though

[@bitvomit374]

UnanimouS finn is the hardest boat for one person I would rather start with laser and then progress to finn

[@jonathanshore5768]

I hope they can back up and running again

[@TheAndrebremer]

Awesome... How do you do the rudder and the daggerboard ??

[@garnacha71]

this is how products should be showed cased... with the actual people who make them.... :)

[@borobenny1]

Excellent

[@adamfermor2669]

Curious about how its apparently a Labour of love even if laser dont solve any of the design flaws

[@SportSoulLife]

Late to the party. Laser is a great boat to have by the lake or at your summer place. Sturdy, low mainenence (uless you need that 0.01 knot advantage in a race), not too challenging for beginners and (for weekend warriors) it doesnt harm it too much to be dragged up on sand. Why its still the largest race class though is beyond me. Its too heavy, too old-school, doesnt surf as well as other boats (goes up and down waves, wont really keep surfing it when you get it going) and overall outdated. For example a 49er is not even twice the weight, is for 2 persons, has a combined downwind sail area of 56 m^2 compared to lasers 7 m^2. Sure completely different class of boat, but what im getting at here is the sail to weight ratio. I mean the musto Skiff weights 15 kg less than the laser at 44 kg, yet is 35 cm longer and just as wide by the hull. These ovington hulls are like eggshells, crack at the smallest impact, but that doesnt matter when you race since everyone knows what they are doing.

[@Tomm9y]

@@SportSoulLife Indeed, even seeing chopped strand glassfibre being used shows how outdated the technology is. It certainly is time to look at better designs and construction techniques. I had been contemplating getting one, to use when I don't have my bigger boat in the water, now I see there are better options out there.

[@SportSoulLife]

@@Tomm9y Apparently they got more expensive now as well since the Laser and ILCA (their new name) dispute. Try Europe class, or Finn if you are big enough

[@adamatch9624]

@@SportSoulLife it ain’t for beginners in my opinion it would be for armatures that can sail. It is the biggest racing class as there just fun. As for weight idk where you getting that From it’s a light boat . Comparing a 2 person boat to 1 person boat is dumb like as 1 person you can only have such a big sail. The skiffs are lighter as there is less material. On a laser you need the larger deck so you can get your weight out but on a skiff you got the bars. And justo skiffs is a total different type off racing it is purely racing made.

[@SportSoulLife]

@@adamatch9624 Well its not ideal to start in in heavy weather, but with someone coaching them, normal conditions and a size smaller sail id say its perfectly doable. As soon as someone can tack and gybe and go from A to B they should be able to handle a laser. The best modern version of a laser i can think of is the RS Aero which weights 30kg the entire thing, with sail sizes (roughly) 5m, 7m and 9m. Skiffs need rigid decks since the crew jump around and run on the boat constantly. The laser is wayy to heavy for its size by modern standards. But that is also what gives it its stable planted feeling. The laser is fun, robust and wont mind much being under a tarp in your backyard for 15 years. But for racing there are better boats out there. Exactly, laser isnt 100% focused on just racing, its almost only focused on keeping the boat the same as it was in the 70s. Yes its fun to have boat classes like that, but i dont think it should be at the olympic level. Even the RS Aero is more exiting to watch than laser. The laser should be like the Windsurfer LT. Great for all levels and ages, races are held, works for just about anything you can think of, but has nothing to do in the Olympics or at the very top level of the sport.

[@Laser43009]

I want to work in Laser Performance :D

[@fabioprb3538]

Is the Laser made by laminating chopped strand mat only or also some layers of woven roving or biaxial glass reinforcements ?

[@comradedog3662]

I just started sailing standard

[@tnth9099]

Nice to see being made but the repair videos are more relevant because many boats are so old now! (have one with soft deck)

[@WRPUS471]

None of these workers look like they'd pass a drug test.

[@nimares1023]

Hello, anybody knows how many layers are used in this boat??? thanks guys

[@MrNickGascoigne]

Is that the banbury workshop?

[@randombadger41]

Im guessing none of this is going to be happening any more if Kirby changes designers? Well not with LaserPerformance. Will this change how the boat is made and make boats less identical or not? Thanks

[@t-oneinternational8576]

What is the glue at 1:41 called?

[@poly_hexamethyl]

I wonder why the class rules don't include a heavy bulb at the bottom of the centerboard, so that the sailor doesn't have to hang so far overboard to keep the boat from capsizing? Or is that all part of the fun? :-)

[@jonkje]

That's the big fun part!

[@jr5389]

Big part of the FUN 🤩 and Super FITNESS 💪 You get from sailing ⛵️ a Laser 😎🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🤪

[@judem8028]

more weight = slower boat

[@maryannegates2767]

Just found this video by chance and. I like this video, it is long over due and

[@dwaynekight7381]

Still class legal?

[@dwaynekight7381]

@Charles Barclay I have a zuma....the old mans version of laser

[@robertlaird6746]

It would be pretty cool if you could make one out of carbon fiber.

[@TheFluid]

please send me one...

[@robertocosimini3545]

this is my new love i have been ruined...please teach me

[@MadMax4651]

Does anyone know what is the laser paint colour called or number

[@oo0Dynamic0oo]

I think it's called 'vela gray' I remember seeing it advertised as that, although after buying my new laser i found out that they changed to 'dawn gray' on boat numbers 20k+. It's worth giving them a call (Find their number on their website)

[@edwardgerwat9805]

no boats prior to the 99 season were dawn grey then after that they are vela gray

[@paulpatrick4977]

+edward gerwat is right. it says it on the sail number to year table on the laser website

[@ferdypl322]

The latest lasers are ice blue

[@NWmariani]

Eeeewww chop strand fiberglass

[@Tomm9y]

Yep, it's way outdated. They should focus on a new design, materials and technology. Even the 420/470's are better despite the really ancient design when GRP was not well understood.

[@justinbettany8349]

labour?

[@ILCALaserSailor]

Still one of the best laser youtube videos out there, thanks for sharing and check us out too for more great laser videos! #ilcalasersailor

[@asafalachmi8284]

oof i wish i could afford myself a laser, i don't have the spare money to buy one....

[@oscarweatherseed6851]

whats this song called

[@chytrus.]

IDK

[@bhudson39]

April fools day?

[@dwaynekight7381]

Apparently it WAS a matter of greed