Hi all, I laser sail most weekends, I have updated the rudder and center board and have kept the wooden ones, I have had a read of the forum for information about the age of my laser with no success, I still have the original sail that came with the boat that has the Canadian maple leaf on and a sail number of 73XX, any info would be great, thanks.
old'ish laser
- Thread starter keith-uk
- Start date
No offense, but that Laser is plain old, not just old'ish, but I'm sure your boat appreciates your kindness
Your boat falls into the limbo of inexact aging among the oldest lasers. I have never been able to find sequential number ranges by year for boats older than 1977, and by then the numbers were in the 35,000's.
I have #1764, I've always guessed it around a 1972-73, based solely on the fact that the first boat was 1971, and the was a world championship in 1974, which I would think there would likely be more than 2000 boats by then. And if there are 35,000 lasers by 1977,they were producing around 5,500 boats a year.
I have struggled in the past to definitively date my boat to no avail. This question turns up almost monthly on this forum, and the only time it cant be answered is when the number is under 35,000...
I'm guessing you also replaced the original mainsheet block, have wooden grab rails (which I wish they still had), and the number is possibly under the bow eye and not on the transom, also the boat likely has steel gudgeons rather than today's plastic.
I'm guessing you also replaced the original mainsheet block, have wooden grab rails (which I wish they still had), and the number is possibly under the bow eye and not on the transom, also the boat likely has steel gudgeons rather than today's plastic.
I'am sorry to say no, still original rails, mainsheet block, kicker(slight mod), steel gudgeons and the sail number in the right place.
I'am sorry to say no, still original rails, mainsheet block, kicker(slight mod), steel gudgeons and the sail number in the right place.
Your boat is likely to have been built in 1973.
The dating of North American hulls is much easier than for those built in the UK.
From 1973 onwards, the North American built hulls included a date identifier in the hull/sail number moulded into the transom.
This link is to an earlier post with a picture of the hull number from a Canadian built hull number 7094.
www.laserforum.org/showthread.php?t=10843&highlight=hull+number
This link below explains the various numbering systems that have been used over the years for the North American factories.
www.laserforum.org/know/index.php?title=Serial_%28Hull%29_Number
Unfortunately, the UK hulls up until the 1980's only had their number moulded under the bow eye with no age identifier. Somewhere between laser 100,000 and 102,000 the UK builder started using a sticker at the back of the cockpit for the sail number, but still without any age identifier.
I assume yours is a UK built hull, as production of Lasers started the UK in June 1972.
The boats provided for the first Laser worlds in 1974 were all 19,000+ sail numbers.
The Laser Performance site has a table of sail numbers and years - the link is below.
www.laserperformance.com/ukin/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=883&Itemid=578
However, I think the early years up to about 1984 are out by about a year.
For example I know that 48,000 came out in 1977 and there were 63,000's in 1978. Also Laser 100,000 was made in 1981 and 110,000 boats were used for the 1982 Worlds. However, from 1985 onwards the table seems about right.
I hope this helps.
The dating of North American hulls is much easier than for those built in the UK.
From 1973 onwards, the North American built hulls included a date identifier in the hull/sail number moulded into the transom.
This link is to an earlier post with a picture of the hull number from a Canadian built hull number 7094.
www.laserforum.org/showthread.php?t=10843&highlight=hull+number
This link below explains the various numbering systems that have been used over the years for the North American factories.
www.laserforum.org/know/index.php?title=Serial_%28Hull%29_Number
Unfortunately, the UK hulls up until the 1980's only had their number moulded under the bow eye with no age identifier. Somewhere between laser 100,000 and 102,000 the UK builder started using a sticker at the back of the cockpit for the sail number, but still without any age identifier.
I assume yours is a UK built hull, as production of Lasers started the UK in June 1972.
The boats provided for the first Laser worlds in 1974 were all 19,000+ sail numbers.
The Laser Performance site has a table of sail numbers and years - the link is below.
www.laserperformance.com/ukin/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=883&Itemid=578
However, I think the early years up to about 1984 are out by about a year.
For example I know that 48,000 came out in 1977 and there were 63,000's in 1978. Also Laser 100,000 was made in 1981 and 110,000 boats were used for the 1982 Worlds. However, from 1985 onwards the table seems about right.
I hope this helps.