Laser Pico (dinghy)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Laser Pico dinghy is a small sailboat designed by Jo Richards in the mid-1990s and used primarily for training and day sailing. It can be crewed by one or two children or adults. Current models come equipped with both a mainsail and a jib. 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 aluminum two-piece mast, an aluminum boom, a daggerboard, and a lifting rudder. For the more racy type, the pico can have a battened race sail attached instead of the cruising main. This sail is made of mylar and is much tougher and more powerful than its cruising counterpart. No less an expert than Dame Ellen Macarthur has said "It's simple, it's fun, and it's cool."
Specifications. Length: 3.50 m (11'6"); beam: 1.43 m; hull weight: 60 kg; mainsail: 5.1 square meters; race mainsail: 6.44 square metres; jib: 1.09 square metres
The first UK National championships were held on the 27th, 28th and 29th of May 2006 at Gurnard Sailing Club on the Isle of Wight, the pico spiritual home. Laser have now sold over 10,000 of these boats so there should be good attendance.
