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 an adult. Current models come equipped with both a mainsail and a jib, but the jib is so small that it is faster sailed single handed using only the mainsail.
A sport version is also available on this boat which includes a larger Mylar sail and upgraded control lines. This improvement has changed the PY from 1338 to 1269 (For the double handed setup). This version is used extensively in the one-design race series.
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, 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.
Laser Performance, the manufacturer of the Pico, has sold over 10,000 of these boats.
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's spiritual home.
Ellen MacArthur is quoted on the manufacturer's site as saying "It's simple, it's fun, and it's cool." Laser Pico
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