Legal vs non-class legal equipment question

[cbioo]

I'm a recreational laser sailor looking to purchase a new sail and daggerboard. There are significant price differences between practice and class legal sails and foils. I'm wondering if there are noticeable performance differences between the two. Is the practice daggerboard going to be as durable as a GPR foil, are there weight differences? Same goes for the sails. Any guidance would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Wavedancer]

For a rec sailor, the differences are minor. As far as the sails is concerned, the non-legal ones (Intensity, APS) may hold their shape longer because they are made from a different fabric. Some may even say that it's all in the eye (or mind) of the beholder.

PS: There's a lot of info on this issue in other threads.

 

[cskudder]

I'm also a rec-only sailor. I've used non-class sails and gear for 10+ yrs and have always enjoyed great fit, performance, and durability. I've bot sails, spars, hiking straps, rigging parts/deck hardware etc from Intensity and from APS. My experience with the "practice" sails and spars are terrific- I've acquired all 3 rigs (for different wind conditions) and have bought the additional sails and spars as "practice" items (that is, not class legal). All this stuff has fit well when new, performance is indistinguishable from class-legal gear, and after 5-10 years of frequent use in all sorts of conditions up to 30kts, I've had no problems (no failures, no early or undue wear+tear, etc) with anything. That's as much or more than I'd expect from any gear, class-legal or otherwise. I haven't bot the daggerboard specifically. Based on my experience I'd be pretty surprised indeed if there were any material difference, in weight or otherwise. For the money difference, for my money, the "practice" gear is both a God-send and a no-brainer purchase.

I'm of course aware that there's a lot of "heat and light" around the issue of non-class sails + gear, "supporting the class and the suppliers" and related perspectives. I don't in any way intend to diminish the value of that view. Answering your question narrowly, and based purely on my own experience, the "practice" stuff is well-built, terrific value-for-money, and a real boon to me as a rec-only guy.

Good luck + have fun!