Class Politics Maclaren Us Files For Chapter 7 Bankruptcy

Merrily,
"THIS" (the "D One") absolutely is a THRILL!!!!!! She (the "D One") additionally is sailed by a spi ... -> Thismeans she (the "D One") is a "Triple A"-"Laser-EPS"* !!! :)) (*: "google" for pictures of a "Laser-EPS"....). Especially there, where the multi Laser Champion Robert Scheidt and his lovely wife Gintarre now live (nearby the village of Torbole, at the north side of the Lake "Largo Di Garda"/ Italy). I'm quite sure, Tom had some nice on the water competitions, or in minimum a visit with Rob at Lake Garda) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

However, to 'jeffers', I'm able to anwser:
My very actual informations are:
LP- Europe still seems to produce Laser's, beside of any truth or un-truth rumors af a bancrupt at Mac Laren.
The containers with plenty of those charter-Lasers for the "4.7-Laser-Worlds" are on the way to Buénos Aires (ARG), me trustfull was told, 2 days ago.

Related to my probably new Laser: She's "still in produce"... for that in May I get my nearly new "good looking" at the Baltric Sea at GER's - Boltenhagen (aft the females "Seniors Laser Radial Worlds 2012").
... I put some candles to that at church, to Easter... :)

Ciao Looser Lu
(Perhaps very soon owner of a new "Laser -I", with Sailnumber GER 20x.xxx" or better to say with the words of the at GER so called "Junker Jörg (Martin Luther)": "And if the globe in two days comes to its final day: tomorrow I plant a tree!")
 
Seriously, this is still a Laser forum, bankruptcy notwithstanding. If you want to talk about a D1 you'd be better off going to the appropriate forum. Given the amount of whining on this forum about the cost of a Laser and parts, I'd be surprised that a lot of people here will want to spend the 15000 or so euros to switch classes. . .
 
Enough people purchasing unauthorised parts, can impact on both cash flow and profitability, when these are impacted in a negative way, bankruptcy can occur. People are often their worst enermy.

So you think this is the reason the are struggling.

What about parent company taking money out or money wasted on expensive diversification into other boats such as the Bug or trying to win in the very competitive market of making optis..? The minute quantity of replica parts is not going to influence the profitablility noticably. All new boat are with original parts and all major competions as well. I have bought 9 radial lowers this year.
 
Enough people purchasing unauthorised parts, can impact on both cash flow and profitability, when these are impacted in a negative way, bankruptcy can occur. People are often their worst enermy.
So you think this is the reason the are struggling.

What about parent company taking money out or money wasted on expensive diversification into other boats such as the Bug or trying to win in the very competitive market of making optis..? The minute quantity of replica parts is not going to influence the profitablility noticably. All new boat are with original parts and all major competions as well. I have bought 9 radial lowers this year.

Also, the Laser itself is only one of a large number of boats they now make, so whilst 3rd party Laser accessories will make a bit of difference I would agree that the Laser itself is just a small part of their "portfolio". I also agree that the massive diversification was an unwise more for them. I've just noticed that almost immediately after the posted financial results, they have released the following year as well - giving the company a net worth of over -£1m (that is more than minus US$1.5m)! - quite a worsening from the previous trading year. So we can now appreciate why they had stopped paying the rights holder ...
 
Like so many things in the manufacturing world, profits are not made on the base item, but on the accessories, spare parts (particularly consumables) and the servicing. With lasers, that essentially means the sails. People in her are always complaining that the authentic sails cost $300US more than the copies, multiply that by 5000 a year and suddenly that a fair whack of profitability.
 
Look at companies like Nautivela, Winner Optimist, Blue Blue, McLaughlin, Lange in Argentina, RS, Ovington not to mention Far East. They all make ends meet by supplying boats in much smaller numbers. The spare parts market is covered by Harken, Ronstan and Optiparts ++ and the sails to a large extent by the sailmakers. Do you think any of the above mentioned companies would be happy to be allowed to take over the production and sales of lasers? - with or without replica parts in the market.. LP must either be very badly run.. or money is taken out in the form of dividends or fees to the owners. I feel the latter most likely.
 

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