Hi all,
Had an interesting conversation with a friend of mine last night. He has just purchased a new Laser in the UK. I asked where he bought it from and he advised that he ended up pay ILCA directly for it (I didn't ask where he actually collected it from though).
This is a new one on me! There are currently 2 dealers in the UK so some spares are available.
He did confirm that the serial number did imply that it was a UK built hull as well. Look like Laser Performance is well and truly dead in all but name.....
ILCA bought some boats to use as charters for the 4.7 Worlds in Argentina a few months ago and are now selling them off. The ad on their website quotes £4500 - is that cheap for a boat in the UK?
Might be "difficulties" there. Boats in Olympics are not class legal (e.g. sails) so to turn them into class legal boats replacement/new sails would be needed and presumably these would need to come from Laser Performance in the UK. And this brings us back to the subject of this thread ...What about the leftover Olympic boats?
So what is going on with the Sunfish class? They don't have the design rights drama we have, but I would assume they are experiencing similar problems in obtaining new boats or spare parts.
LP is producing some Sunfish for charters for the worlds in October. Sounded like they were starting up the line just for these boats. And LP is not providing any of the charters. All are being offered by dealers. The spare parts problem is the same for Sunfish. If you are lucky, you can find a sail here or there, but in general there are very few parts to be had. Whatever you don't break Sunfish rudder cheeks - they seem to be completely unavailable! BB
Wait what? Not class legal sails and equipment? What makes you think that? The sails look legal to me, got the button, the logo, everything.Might be "difficulties" there. Boats in Olympics are not class legal (e.g. sails) so to turn them into class legal boats replacement/new sails would be needed and presumably these would need to come from Laser Performance in the UK. And this brings us back to the subject of this thread ...
The sails would be class legal with a bit of work. Removal of the flags and olympic insignias and addition of the relevant sail numbers.
Don't forget the 2 lb cameras on the bow.
I doubt people would want to use that sail anyway. The rest of the boat is legal.The sails would be class legal with a bit of work. Removal of the flags and olympic insignias and addition of the relevant sail numbers.
Olympics Laser sailing fleet to be sold
16 August 2012 Last updated at 08:13 ET Help Dozens of specially-made Laser sailing boats used by Olympic competitors are to be repaired then sold by the Northamptonshire company which made them.
More than 100 were sent by Laser Performance in Long Buckby to Weymouth for London 2012. Once shipshape again, the boats will be on sale for just over £5,000.
Looks like there will indeed be some boats available. It won't let me watch the video because of my location.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-19285263
The BBC video tells us that 72 of the 100 boats have been sold (for £5300) as of the date of the report. The holes for the cameras are being filled and the bruises will be fixed.
Tom Slingsby's boat will be kept by LP as a souvenir.
That's more expensive than a brand new boat !! (from the same company) Bargain ?
Is that contest still on their Facebook page? I looked for it and did not see it. BBLaserPerformance are currently running a competition on their Facebook page in which the prize is a "brand new complete 60th Anniversary Sunfish" so presumably they are now, or will be, making some new Sunfish. Or at least one!
Is that contest still on their Facebook page? I looked for it and did not see it. BB
The sails would be class legal with a bit of work. Removal of the flags and olympic insignias and addition of the relevant sail numbers.
No, it doesn't it's just classed as advertising which is fully permitted with the Radial & Standard rig, there are more restriction on advertising with the 4.7.
The reason why the Olympic boats were illegal was because they didn't have sail numbers.
Within reason, advertising on Standard / Radials is unlimited, that is, you can advertise what you want in restricted locations. Events like the Olympics do restrict advertising to their own sponsors. But generally, an event organiser cannot prevent you adverting your sponsors at their event. I haven't got my rule books with me yet to give give a clearer answer.Am I right in thinking that, whilst the advertising on the Olympic Lasers I permitted, this would only apply to that competition and that using the same boat with the same advertising may not be legal for maybe your National championship or a more local regatta (depending on their advertising regulations).
It was a quite amusing tale from the Olympics in the UK over the advertising, commercial sponsorship and commercial gain. It seems that the various toilet for public use at the various Olympic venues had those electric hand driers and soap dispensers. And those items had the name of the manufacturers printed on the (as does my washing machine, fridge, etc. - normal practice for a manufacturer to put their name on the product). But those manufacturers were not commercial sponsors of the Olympics and other companies who were commercial sponsors of the event decided that it was quite unfair for companies who were not sponsoring to get commercial gain from the event e.g. the manufacturers of toilet hand driers and soap dispensers. So the organisers had to go round with opaque sticky tape and tape over the manufacturers names on the hand driers and soap dispensers !!
Thus, is your sail has ads for brewers ABC Ltd all over it and you attended a major event sponsored by brewers XYZ Ltd, would you be allowed to use that sail ? And when you won and all the magazines had your picture standing in from of your rigged boat with the "Sponsored by ABC Ltd" on display, would company XYZ Ltd be feeling that their sponsorship was money well spent ? But then maybe company ABC Ltd had been sponsoring your training so maybe deserve some advertising/PR recognition ...
Ian
LP is producing some Sunfish for charters for the worlds in October. Sounded like they were starting up the line just for these boats. And LP is not providing any of the charters. All are being offered by dealers. The spare parts problem is the same for Sunfish. If you are lucky, you can find a sail here or there, but in general there are very few parts to be had. Whatever you don't break Sunfish rudder cheeks - they seem to be completely unavailable! BB
What about the leftover Olympic boats?