Laser or Sunfish

drjay44

Member
Experience limited to Hobie and sunfish type craft on vacations years ago.

Ready to buy a sailboat.

i do not want a cat and am between a Laser, Sunfish or Sunfish "pro".

I will never race but rather having just retired will sail 2-3 days a week on a large lake.

I am a big guy at 245 but muscular.

As i understand it the Laser is "less comfortable" and recommended for more athletic individuals. also more prone to capsizing?

Difference between the Sunfish and Sunfish race is the sail, cunningham and other little items to tune the sail(of which i currently know nothing about).

If you put me in a boat i can tack and jibe but am not proficient although i can get out and back.

So for a new sailor looking to just have fun do i go for the fastest with all the adjustments (Laser), the middle of the road Sunfish Pro or the basic Sunfish?

Will i really have more fun if I have the cunningham and those other items on the race version Sunfish?

I really don't need an extra .5 kts for what i propose to do.

i have read the Laser will point higher upwind but if I'm not competitive do i care. On the other hand i have read that with the Sunfish I can go out on a very windy day whereas in the Laser i will have my hands full!

Any point in getting the race version sunfish sail on the non-race sunfish? I do like the little window.

I suppose I need to know should i get the Miata,Corvette or Ferrari?

Thanks.

BTW: Am i too heavy for these choices cause i really don't want to venture into the cat world/

Appreciate the help.
 
Sunfish sailors may disagree, but the general impression is the Laser is for racing and the Sunfish is for recreational sailing. There are many, many keen Sunfish racers though, and many people sail Lasers just for fun.

Since you are a big guy, I can think of one reason why you may want a Sunfish. You can adjust the height of the lower boom depending on where you attach the halyard to the upper boom. Racers like it down low for performance, but you have to be an acrobat to get under the boom. If not racing, you can set it so the boom is up higher and you can get underneath the boom easier. It won't be as fast, and it will be tippy on a windy day.
 
I agree with most of what torrid wrote. Considering that you want to sail primarily for fun, the Sunfish seems to be the better choice.
The Laser does capsize more easily, but it's fun to learn to sail the boat properly.
PS: I sail and race both.
 
I agree with most of what torrid wrote. Considering that you want to sail primarily for fun, the Sunfish seems to be the better choice.
The Laser does capsize more easily, but it's fun to learn to sail the boat properly.
PS: I sail and race both.
Thanks for the reply. Do you agree I should get the race version with vang, outhaul etc for sail trim or go bare bones??
 
Experience limited to Hobie and sunfish type craft on vacations years ago.

Ready to buy a sailboat.

i do not want a cat and am between a Laser, Sunfish or Sunfish "pro".

I will never race but rather having just retired will sail 2-3 days a week on a large lake.

I am a big guy at 245 but muscular.

As i understand it the Laser is "less comfortable" and recommended for more athletic individuals. also more prone to capsizing?

Difference between the Sunfish and Sunfish race is the sail, cunningham and other little items to tune the sail(of which i currently know nothing about).

If you put me in a boat i can tack and jibe but am not proficient although i can get out and back.

So for a new sailor looking to just have fun do i go for the fastest with all the adjustments (Laser), the middle of the road Sunfish Pro or the basic Sunfish?

Will i really have more fun if I have the cunningham and those other items on the race version Sunfish?

I really don't need an extra .5 kts for what i propose to do.

i have read the Laser will point higher upwind but if I'm not competitive do i care. On the other hand i have read that with the Sunfish I can go out on a very windy day whereas in the Laser i will have my hands full!

Any point in getting the race version sunfish sail on the non-race sunfish? I do like the little window.

I suppose I need to know should i get the Miata,Corvette or Ferrari?

Thanks.

BTW: Am i too heavy for these choices cause i really don't want to venture into the cat world/

Appreciate the help.
I'm curious what you decided to buy. I just made a video of sailing a Sunfish 150 miles around Isle Royale, take passengers, went camping with my dog last weekend (another video on Adventures In Reach channel on YouTube), have been in 10' waves and 45 mph winds...and I sail the basic Sunfish, because I got one for free. It works. It handles the weight, and you can always add on some additional features if you want.
 

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