In this modern age of monotonous "Vela Grey", does anyone else miss seeing all of colors at the starting line? I mean the grey is nice, as was the white before it, but it is still nice to see colored boats at big events. Does anyone have any ideas as to what that colors were over the years? i.e: 2005: Red, 2006: Blue etc.
I agree the grey hulls are boring, but I guess that's what people want. No one wants to stick out on the starting line.
I think they typically gave you your choice of two different hull colors during the Sunfish/Laser and Vanguard eras. The exact colors were changed each model year.
I miss the colors. Too bad LP doesn't make gray every year and one color choice too. Eventually it will be impossible to find your boat at 200 boat regattas when every boat is gray. It will be like trying to find your dolly!
I suspect LP went to one color to simplify procurement and inventory. They seem very focused on those two things. Plus it must slightly simplify production. All of this leads to lower costs.
When lasers came out in the '70's they came in all kinds of colors. Some were good looking and some were pretty hideous!
We have a fair few older yellow,red and duck shell blue at my club. My laser is white, I quite like it like that as it not so obvious when you turn turtle (as I sail on a small lake its not as much a problem as if you were one the sea and wanted something visble for safety reasons). There seems to be a number of special editions around as well. At another local club there is a laser with 3 differing shades of blue stripe around the underside of the hull which I believe to be a Timex Special Edition.
The snot green ones are pretty vile esp when they started fading.
I have noticed allot of the older white lasers turn yellowy in the sun, maybe the vela gray is better in the sunlight hence the reason they use it.