The Boat
The Laser Radial Olympic Class - Women's One Person Dinghy
The Laser Radial made its debut at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, replacing the Europe class, designed by Bruce Kirby 1969, with the Radial sail and mast being created in the 1980's, it is one of the simplest of the Olympic class boats.
A popular boat among men, women and children, the Radial is based upon the same hull and equipment as the Laser however the Radial has a slightly smaller sail and a different lower mast, the sail itself is 62 square feet (5.8 m2), about 19% smaller than the full Laser Standard rig.
In 1988 the Laser Women's World Championship began using the Laser Radial. They are a good training aid to start learning to sail a Laser but the Laser Radial is a good racing boat in its own right and some sailors (generally women) progress to become professional Radial sailors.
The recommended weight range for this technical one-design boat is between 60-75kgs although the boat is being sailed competitively below and above these weights.
Radial - Stats
| Designer | Bruce Kirby |
| Year Designed | 1969 |
| LOA | 4.2 m (13 ft 9 in) |
| LWL | 3.81 m (12 ft 6 in) |
| Beam | 1.39 m (4 ft 7 in) |
| Draft | 0.787 m (2 ft 7.0 in) |
| Mainsail Area | 5.76 m2 (62.0 sq ft) |
| Hull Weight | 58.97 kg (130.0 lb) |
| Mast Height | |
| Crew | 1 |
| Olympic Debut | 2008 - Beijing, China |
| UK Class Association | www.laser.org.uk |
Laser Radial British Olympic Medals – there are currently no British medal winners in this class
Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Top 3
| Gold | Anna Tunnicliffe | United States (USA) |
| Silver | Gintarė Volungevičiūtė | Lithuania (LTU) |
| Bronze | Xu Lijia | China (CHN) |