Designed by American Bruce Kirby in 1969 it is one of the simplest of the Olympic class boats.

The Laser, which first participated in the Olympic Games in 1996, is a tough boat, easily rigged and light, with a single sail and flat bottom.

Every item in the rig must conform to rigorous one design specifications leaving no room whatsoever for technical gains. This places every emphasis on the fitness and tactical awareness of the helm. The Laser is the world’s most popular single-handed dinghy with over 170,000 raced in virtually every continent in the world

SPECIFICATIONS

Length: 4.23m (13ft 10in)

Breadth: 1.37m (4ft 6in)

Weight: 59kg (130lb)

Type: Dinghy

Crew: 1

Designer: Bruce Kirby

Year: 1969

Beijing 2008 Olympic Results:

Gold: Paul Goodison – Great Britain

Silver: Vasilij Zbogar – Slovakia

Bronze: Diego Romero – Italy

Athens 2004 Olympic Results:

Gold: Robert Scheidt – Brazil

Silver: Andreas Geritzer – Austria

Bronze: Vasilij Zbogar – Slovakia