Ilca 6 (Laser Radial)

BoatsIlca 6 (Laser Radial)

See her sail

The Ilca 6 (Laser Radial), 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 1.37 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 58 kg of hull, so roughly 650 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Ramp-launchableAbout 58 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.Shoal draftDraws 0.10 m, board up where she has one — creeks, sandbars and thin anchorages most keels have to stay out of.

LivelySea-kindly

Her light displacement on a moderate beam gives 2 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 2

CoastalBluewater

At 3.56 she sits above the 2.0 line — beamy for her weight, and happiest coastal.

Capsize screening 3.56

LightHeavy

29 — light for her waterline, so she is easily driven and quick to accelerate.

Displacement / length 29

EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 39.1

Light and lively — happiest day-sailing and coastal-hopping in settled weather.

Lighter than ~86% of boats her size on file
Narrower than ~88% of boats her size on file

Compared with 374 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Ilca 6 (Laser Radial), as the fleet has seen it

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

The Ilca 6 (LASER RADIAL) is a 4.2-meter unstayed cat-rigged dinghy designed by Bruce Kirby, built since 1982, and selected for the Olympic women's single-handed sailing event starting in 2004. It shares the same hull as the Ilca 7 but features a smaller sail, intended for sailors weighing under 150 lbs. With a displacement of 58 kg, the Ilca 6 has a draft of 0.8 meters and a beam of 1.4 meters. Aboard *SEILmagasinet*, Line Flem Høst achieved a fifth-place finish at the ILCA 6 World Championship, attributing her improved light-wind consistency to a revised training program focused on increased water time and tactical adjustments.watch Her training regimen includes specific technical drills and preparation for upcoming regattas in Vilamoura, Palma, and Hyères in advance of the Olympic Games.11:17 The Ilca 6 remains an essential traditional class for maintaining global participation in sailing, even as the sport faces pressure to modernize and incorporate foiling classes.7:38

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen 3 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

Cat (unstayed)

Ratios

SA / displacement

39.1

Displacement / length

29.3

Comfort ratio

2.1

Capsize screening

3.56

Hull speed

4.7 kn

Pounds / inch immersion

201

Hull

Hull type

Dbrd. Dinghy

Construction

Fiberglass

Production

Years built

First built 1982

Designer

Bruce Kirby

Builder

Laserperformance.com, Element 6 Evolution Co. Ltd

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.

Ilca 7 (Laser-International)4.23 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Bruce Kirby-designed Olympic class dinghy featuring a simple unstayed cat rig and a lightweight, high-performance hull

Theodor Middelthon: An "ILCA Viking" on a steady course for the world summit18:40 from SEILmagasinet

Super Sunfish4.22 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthAn unstayed cat-rigged evolution of the classic Sunfish, designed for a more performance-oriented sailing experience

AMF Sunfish MADISON Sailing the James River from kentblairl

Alcort Sunfish4.24 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthWith a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 47.02, this nimble 4.24-meter dinghy remains a benchmark for simple

Lewis Boat Works TETRIS 30 Apr 230:02 from kentblairl

Laser 24.40 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA high-performance fractional dinghy designed by Bethwaite and Bruce, featuring a rapid sail-area-to-displacement ratio

Laser 2 Sailing, A guy a girl and a small dog0:20 from Wicked Salty

Several Under License 29er4.40 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA high-performance skiff designed by Julian Bethwaite, featuring a powerful fractional rig for competitive racing

Marie Rønningen, Olympic gold contender7:24 from SEILmagasinet

Spindrift 134.06 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA Hubert Vandestadt-designed centerboard dinghy with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for lively, responsive sailing

Our Boat Got Stolen 😡… So We Built a New One (in just ONE Week)from WhiteSpotPirates

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.

Ilca 4 (Laser 4.7)A Bruce Kirby-designed dinghy sharing the classic Laser hull, optimized with a smaller sail plan for lighter sailors Ilca 7 (Laser-International)A Bruce Kirby-designed Olympic class dinghy featuring a simple unstayed cat rig and a lightweight, high-performance hull LaserPerformance BugCat (unstayed) · 2.60 m Laser 2A high-performance fractional dinghy designed by Bethwaite and Bruce, featuring a rapid sail-area-to-displacement ratio

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