LaserPerformance 49er

BoatsLaserPerformance 49er

See her sail

The LaserPerformance 49er, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

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.

CoastalBluewater

At 3.92 she sits above the 2.0 line — beamy for her weight, and happiest coastal.

Capsize screening 3.92

EasygoingPowered-up

87.8 — a lot of sail for her weight; powered-up and eager, a real performer.

Sail area / displacement 87.8

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.

What the fleet has seen

The LaserPerformance 49er, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The LaserPerformance 49er is a 4.9-meter high-performance skiff designed by Julian Bethwaite and built by LaserPerformance, featuring a fractional sloop rig and a centerboard dinghy hull. Since its introduction in 1999, it has been an Olympic class sailboat, first appearing in the 2002 Games. The boat measures 4.9 meters in length overall, has a beam of 1.9 meters, a draft of 1.5 meters, and displaces 122 kg. Its design includes wings that can be removed, reducing its beam to 5.58 feet for transport.4:57 Former Olympic 49er sailor Christoffer Sundby competed in the 2000 and 2004 Olympics, later applying skills from elite sailing to business.0:23 Kongelig Norsk Seilforening (KNS) supports Norwegian Olympic sailing candidates in the 49er and 49erFX classes, with Eivind Melleby coaching the Olympic program for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.19:55 Norway's national sailing team includes a 49er crew ranked 10–15 globally, building toward the 2028 Olympics.27:33

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen 6 times across one channel of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

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.

MacKay Boats Ltd. 49erfx4.88 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA high-performance skiff utilizing the 49er hull with a downsized rig specifically optimized for lighter crews

Benedicte Lind Bjørland, first woman to lead KNS10:37 from SEILmagasinet

Fairey Marine Firefly3.66 mSame hull family1.2 m shorterThe 1948 Olympic single-handed class, this Uffa Fox design was the first sailboat ever produced by Fairey Marine

Mikkel Thommessen on a long life as a sailor0:53 from SEILmagasinet

O'day 123.76 mSame hull family1.1 m shorterA lightweight cat-rigged dinghy featuring a simple unstayed mast and daggerboard, sharing her hull with the Widgeon

The Pilot Who Crashed His Plane and Was Reborn on a Sailboat | #SAL #34314:23 from Hashtag Sal

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

Sailing Is Way Scarier Than You Think - Ep 353 - Lady K Sailing6:44 from Lady K Sailing

Lido 144.27 mSame hull family0.6 m shorterA fractional sloop dinghy designed by Barney Lehman, updated in 1995 with a modern mold for improved longevity and safety

Restoring covid-quarantine project boats - a Lido 14 sailboat and Seaflite 179SS ski boat0:03 from Ravenswing

Finn (Monotype)4.50 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterA Richard Sarby-designed Olympic single-handed dinghy featuring an unstayed cat rig and a long history of competition

SEILmagasinet TV Episode 3 - 202551:39 from SEILmagasinet

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 49er MacKay Boats Ltd. 49erfxA high-performance skiff utilizing the 49er hull with a downsized rig specifically optimized for lighter crews Several Under License 29erA high-performance skiff designed by Julian Bethwaite, featuring a powerful fractional rig for competitive racing Nautivela JetA Phil Morrison-designed two-person skiff featuring twin trapeze racks for high-performance racing

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