Issues with Laser Performance Sunfish Manufacturing

Our club placed an order for three new Sunfish Sailboats five months ago. The boats were to be delivered last December, then promised again for January, and now we are almost through February and still no boats. Our peak season and race series are in the Winter months. At this rate the boats will not be used this year.
Communications between the local Sunfish Dealer in South Florida and Laser Performance are DISMAL. The latest email from the dealer stated: "We spoke with Brent Richards at LaserPerformance and he has not been able to get a response from their production facility in China regarding the sunfish." Since then we have heard nothing.

Is it time to consider changing our fleet of Sunfish to another brand?
 
A few China-built Sunfishes were at the most recent Worlds. But there is little doubt that LP is slowly killing the goose that laid the golden eggs.
Laser sailors have been coping with similar issues for several years.
 
You might watch Craigslist, etc., for used boats while you wait for your new ones. Many, many people are wondering just exactly what is up with the Manufacturer ... Please don't give up ...
 
Shorelines Sailboats posted on Twitter that they were picking some 2017 Sunfish up, so hopefully you've received yours by now, or will be shortly.
Shoreline Sailboats on Twitter
2017 sunfish.jpg
 
Our club placed an order for three new Sunfish Sailboats five months ago. The boats were to be delivered last December, then promised again for January, and now we are almost through February and still no boats. Our peak season and race series are in the Winter months. At this rate the boats will not be used this year.
Communications between the local Sunfish Dealer in South Florida and Laser Performance are DISMAL. The latest email from the dealer stated: "We spoke with Brent Richards at LaserPerformance and he has not been able to get a response from their production facility in China regarding the sunfish." Since then we have heard nothing.

Is it time to consider changing our fleet of Sunfish to another brand?
Well here we are in May and it has been 7 months and our club still does not have the three new sunfish, ordered from Gulfstream Marine in Miami Florida. They insist the problem is with LP manufacturing. This is insane!
 
That would be called a "Chibfish?" A knockoff Sunfish where you'd
replace all the cheap hardware.
 
I ordered a sunfish from a dealer in early March. He told me Laser Performance was far behind from moving the molds to China in the middle of the summer last year but thought I would get mine late May or early June. If mine is anything like yours it's not looking like I will have it this summer. If I get mine before yours there is obviously something wrong. I'll update you when I hear from the dealer.
 
Bad news from the dealer today. He said (as I'm sure you know) Laser Performance is way behind and are only making 1-2 boats per day at this point. Laser Performance said my boat won't make it to the United States til late July.
 
Interesting... only yesterday Scuttlebutt posted an article about "light at the end of the tunnel" Sunfish Class: Light at the end of tunnel >> Scuttlebutt Sailing News
I have spoken with both the President and Owner of LP and they have confirmed that, despite any production problems they are experiencing, they are on track to produce and deliver 72 Sunfish Class racing sailboats and North Racing Sails for the International Sunfish Class Association World Championships in Brant Beach, NJ, in August of this year.

so yours must be coming after the 72 new Worlds boats are made and delivered...
 
Thanks for the link, that is interesting for sure. It makes sense then with the late July shipping date they gave me for mine. Hopefully it doesn't slip any further.
 

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