Lainie says:
<The Laser Class is still flourishing worldwide. Almost 170,000 have been
<built. There are only 15,000-odd that are raced regularly, that's the
number
<of Laser Class members we have world wide. Probably another 10,000 race
<occasionally but are not Class members. Almost 70,000 have been sold in
North
<America, but we have less than 3000 members here. We'd give a LOT to have
the
<answers to all those other questions you posed.
Not to diss the Class Association, but there are probably a lot more boats
racing than you think. At my club very few are members of the UK Class
Association - about four out of our fleet of 30-odd, 15 of which are
regularly racing and more of which go out just for the fun of it. We find
this out when we try and get entries for the UK Champion of Clubs thing and
it turns out that very few are eligible to go. If this pattern is repeated
elsewhere than you have a lot more than 15000 Lasers racing regularly
world-wide!
If it helps, I haven't joined because for me it's not worth it. The discount
on the insurance isn't worthwhile, I don't go to opens because there's a
flourishing fleet 200 yards from home and I can get all the hints and tips I
need off the web. Am I missing anything here?
incidentally, thanks for all the hints on my mast rotation problem, everyone
- I'm off to drill out the rivet and glue in the end plug. One day I'll get
a newer boat, but I need to learn to land this one without bumping it first,
I still hit the bank sometimes.
regards
Helen Gerald (49813 'Yellow Submarine' - and yes, that is a full rig..)
Island Barn Reservoir SC, Surrey, UK
http://www.surreyweb.org.uk/ibrsc/
