Interested in Buying a Laser 5000?

Apart from the fact that they are amazing value for money, here are a few key facts that you need to know:

The Laser 5000 is a thrilling boat to sail with a big sail area, lots ofpower and great speed. Designed in 1995 to be the new high performance Olympicboat (though the 49er won the selection in the end), she was sailed by all the famous names on the dinghy scene.

As such, the laser 5000 is clearly not a beginners' boat . Basically, you will need some determination and hard work totame the beast! Swimming will definitely come into the mix during the firstyear and a decent fitness will come in useful but once you have mastered her, all other boats will feel boring in comparison.

In terms of maintenance, the Laser 5000 is great . She has been built to Laser standards which basically means indestructible.The hull is in thick fiberglass, the mast & racks are in enduring aluminum andthe main & gib are bulletproof. So your 5000 will go on for years and youcan take her out in strong winds without having to worry about breaking your mast.

The strict one design rules based on weight equalization and the endurance of the boat also means that the first 5000s (5001 to 5199) continue to be just as competitive as the newer boats (5200 to 5320). You can actually buy a £1,300 boat with decent sails and win the national championship tomorrow. In 2007, Laser 5069 won the Inlands at Rutland , in 2006 Laser 5023 won the Nationals at Rock. It will all be down to your sailing abilities.

Last but not least, the Laser 5000 class is a friendly group of sailors. There is a lot of sharing of tips, ideas and trainingevents are organized by every year to get you into the groove. Check that 5000 forum and it will give you a flavour of what has been going on.

So, if you are up for the challenge of sailing a big twin trapezeracing dinghy and don't want to damage your wallet, the 5000 will be just the right boat for you.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to email us or post a message on the Yahoo Forum.

Best of Luck