Laser Pico

Last updated
A Laser Pico Laser Pico (1).jpg
A Laser Pico

The Laser Pico dinghy is a small sailboat designed by Jo Richards in the mid-1990s [1] and used primarily for training and day sailing. It can be crewed by one or two children or an adult. Current models come equipped with both a mainsail and a jib, the jib however mainly functions as a training tool and provides little to no contribution to speed. The Pico functions mainly as a training boat for younger children because of its very durable nature and has little to no racing events dedicated to it.

Contents

The hull is of thermoplastic sandwich construction, providing strength, stiffness, and built-in buoyancy. The cockpit is self-draining. The boat comes equipped with an aluminium two-piece mast, an aluminium boom, and a lifting rudder. A sport version is available which includes a battened Mylar sail and upgraded running rigging. The Ocean Play manufactured Pico uses a vertical battened dacron sail as standard. The Portsmouth Yardstick handicap appears in the Limited Data list.

Laser Performance, used to be the manufacturer of the Pico, sold over 15,000 of these boats, but stopped supplying in 2022. The RS Marine Group under the brand name Ocean Play is now supplying the Pico. Ocean Play was founded in 2022 after Jo Richards (designer of the four boats) approached RS to take up the production challenge. Besides the Pico, Ocean Play also produces other products that were originally sold by Laser Performance. [2] [3]

The first UK National championships were held on 27–29 May 2006 at Gurnard Sailing Club on the Isle of Wight, the Pico's spiritual home.

The Laser Pico has no active Class Association with the last remnants of the website being removed in 2013.

Specifications

[5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laser (dinghy)</span> Sailboat class

The Laser is a class of single-handed, one-design sailing dinghies using a common hull design with three interchangeable rigs of different sail areas, appropriate to a given combination of wind strength and crew weight. Ian Bruce and Bruce Kirby designed the Laser in 1970 with an emphasis on simplicity and performance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hobie Cat</span> Small sailing catamaran

Hobie Cat is a company that manufactures sailing catamarans, surfboards, sailboats, kayaks, stand-up paddle boards, and pedalboards as the Hobie Cat Company. It was founded in 1961 by Hobart Alter, who originally manufactured surfboards. Its line of products has included more than twenty sailing craft, plus a variety of other watercraft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tasar</span> Light two person sailing dinghy

The Tasar is a 14.83-foot (4.52 m) fiberglass 2 person sailing dinghy with a mainsail and jib. Designed by Frank Bethwaite of Sydney in 1975, the boat was technologically advanced for its time and continues to evolve. Aimed at a husband-and-wife or parent-and-child crew hence no spinnaker, it is designed for a combined crew weight of around 140 kg. The hull weighs 68 kg, and is of sandwich foam construction. The hull has a fine angle at the bow to reduce wave impact drag with unusually clean and sharp chines aft to ensure very free planing and outstanding stability. The foam cored hull is stiff and light and the advanced hull shape, together with an innovative rig which combines a rotating mast with a fully battened main sail, allows the Tasar to plane upwind with the crew normally hiked. The wide beam and a cockpit designed for comfortable hiking make the Tasar easy, fun and very exciting to sail in winds up to 25 knots (46 km/h).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International 14</span> Sailboat class

The International 14 is a British racing sailboat, crewed by two sailors. The class was established in 1928.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laser Stratos</span> Model of cruising and racing boat

The Laser Stratos is an all-round cruising and racing boat designed by Phil Morrison and built by LaserPerformance, the same company as the famous Laser Standard dinghy. It is built from fibre-glass and foam sandwich. The Laser Stratos comes in two forms, one with a keel and one with a centreboard. The centreboard version is red and the keel version is blue. The Stratos is quite spacious and most of the rigging is kept out of the way. The boat can optionally be fitted with trapeze lines and an engine bracket for carrying an outboard engine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RS Feva</span> International racing sailing dinghy

The RS Feva is a two-person sailing dinghy designed by Paul Handley in 2002. It is manufactured and distributed by RS Sailing. The RS Feva is an International Sailing Federation (ISAF) International Class, a Royal Yachting Association (RYA) Supported Junior Class, and has been selected by the Dansk Sejlunion and Norges Seilforbund for major sailing growth projects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">3000 (dinghy)</span> Racing sailing dinghy crewed by two persons with a trapeze for the crew

The 3000 is a racing sailing dinghy crewed by two persons with a trapeze for the crew. Launched in 1996 as the Laser 3000, the 3000 was developed from the Laser 2, using the original Frank Bethwaite-designed planing hull combined with a new designed self-draining deck by Derek Clark. Clark also re-designed the rig, using spars and sails from premium proprietary sources and replacing the symmetric spinnaker of the Laser 2 by a larger asymmetric spinnaker (gennaker). The gennaker is chute-launched and retrieved using a single halyard line, and is set on a retractable bowsprit. Helm balance and handling were improved using a shorter-footed mainsail with two full-width battens giving a larger roach. A mast with conventional spreaders replaced the now-unusual diamond arrangement of the Laser 2.

The 2000(formerly the Laser 2000) is a performance sailing dinghy designed by Phil Morrison and currently sold by RS Sailing. It combines a traditional GRP hull and foam sandwich deck moulding with a modern asymmetric rig including a furling jib, reefing mainsail and single line gennaker hoist system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Banshee (dinghy)</span> Sailboat class

The Banshee, sometimes called the Banshee 13, is an American sailing dinghy that was designed by Richard L. Reid as a one-design racer and first built in 1969.

The Fish class sloop, also known informally as the Fish Boat, is a one-design sailboat designed in 1919 by New Orleans resident Rathbone DeBuys, member of the Southern Yacht Club. It is reputed to have been the most popular sailboat racing class on the US Gulf Coast in the early 20th century and was the Gulf Yachting Association one-design racer until it was replaced by the Flying Scot in 1969.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laser Vago</span> Sailboat class

The Laser Vago is a British/American sailing dinghy that was designed by Jo Richards as a one-design racer and first built in 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RS Aero</span> Sailboat class

The RS Aero is a British sailing dinghy that was designed by Jo Richards as a one-design racer and first built in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laser 28</span> Sailboat class

The Laser 28 is a Canadian-built sailboat designed by New Zealander Bruce Farr and first produced in 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Topper Topaz</span> Sailboat class

The Topper Topaz is a British single-handed or two-handed sailing dinghy that was designed as a beginner and intermediate racer.

The Puffer is an American rowboat, motorboat and sailing dinghy that was designed by Fred Scott and first built in 1972.

The Trac 14 is an American catamaran sailing dinghy that was designed by Australians Richard McFarlane and Jay McFarlane as a one-design racer and first built in 1980.

The Nacra 5.2 is an American catamaran sailing dinghy that was designed by Tom Roland as a one-design racer and first built in 1975. Other than the small production run Nacra 36, the Nacra 5.2 was the first Nacra brand boat and established its reputation.

The Skipjack 15 is an American sailing dinghy that was designed by Harry R. Sindle and Carter Pyle and first built in 1965.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RS Neo</span> Sailboat class

The RS Neo is a singlehanded British sailboat that was designed by Paul Handley and RS Sailing as a racer and first built in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RS Quest</span> Sailboat class

The RS Quest is a British sailboat that was designed by Jo Richards as a sail trainer and day sailer. It was first built in 2015.

References

  1. "Pico (Laser Performance) - Sailboat specifications". Boat-Specs.com. Retrieved 2022-11-04.
  2. Ashworth, Katie (19 April 2011). "LaserPerformance and the renewal of the Laser Pico". Sail-World.com. Archived from the original on December 2, 2013. Retrieved 2013-11-21.
  3. LaserPerformance (2022). "Boats". laserperformance.com. Archived from the original on 11 September 2022. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  4. "Centerboard Classes-Inactive". US Sailing. Archived from the original on 16 August 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
  5. "Portsmouth Yardstick". RYA. Retrieved 12 March 2022.

-