LaserPerformance 49er
Fractional Sloop · Centerboard Dinghy · First built 1999
An Olympic-class high-performance skiff featuring a massive sail-area-to-displacement ratio for elite racing
Designed by Julian Bethwaite & Bethwaite Design.
- LOA
- Beam
- Draft (max)
- Displacement
- Hull type
- Centerboard Dinghy
See her sail
The LaserPerformance 49er, on the water
The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.
Footage from SEILmagasinet
Is it for you?
Character
Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.
TrailerableBeam 1.93 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 123 kg of hull, so roughly 700 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Ramp-launchableAbout 123 kg of hull, with a keel that raises or a draft shallow enough to float off a trailer — she can go back on the trailer at the ramp, not only into the water.
CoastalCapsize 3.92Bluewater
EasygoingSA/D 87.8Powered-up
Powered-up and quick to accelerate — this one likes to sail.
- Draws more than ~96% of boats her size on file
- Beamier than ~83% of boats her size on file
Compared with 350 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.
The living fleet
Sailed by the fleet
Where the fleet has filmed this boat.
Seen 2 times across one channel of the fleet.
The record
Full specifications
The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.
Dimensions
Weights
Rig & sail area
Rig
Fractional Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
87.8
Capsize screening
3.92
Hull
Hull type
Centerboard Dinghy
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1999
Designer
Julian Bethwaite, Bethwaite Design
Builder
LaserPerformance
Boats like this, on the water
More boats like her, on the water
Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.
CL Sailboats 144.32 mSame hull family0.6 m shorterA 109-kilogram fractional sloop built since 1980, offering a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for lively handling
Small Craft Ltd. Wayfarer4.82 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthAn Ian Proctor-designed centerboard dinghy with a high sail-to-displacement ratio, built since 1957 in wood and fiberglass
Aubin (Chantier Aubin) Snipe4.72 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA legendary William F. Crosby-designed fractional dinghy that remains one of the world's most active racing classes
The family
Related models
The designs closest to hers — usually the rest of the builder's range, sometimes the same hull sold under another name.
Ovington Boats 59erA non-trapeze dinghy with an asymmetric spinnaker, designed as a more accessible alternative to the 49erMacKay Boats Ltd. 49erfxA high-performance skiff utilizing the 49er hull with a downsized rig specifically optimized for lighter crewsSeveral Under License 29erA high-performance skiff designed by Julian Bethwaite, featuring a powerful fractional rig for competitive racingNautivela JetA Phil Morrison-designed two-person skiff featuring twin trapeze racks for high-performance racing
Keep asking
The fleet has more to say
Search what's been said about the LaserPerformance 49er, or ask a specific question — the answer comes back written out, with links to the moments it draws on.
The newsletter
New boats, new stories, from everywhere.
One email from the fleet — boats newly added, videos newly analyzed. No noise.