Today's
Laser sailboats have changed little since 1971. There have only been 3
major modifications to the Laser
rig; The Laser M, the
Laser Radial Rig, and the
Laser 4.7
The first Laser Revision, Laser M, 'M' for "modified rig," developed in 1975. A modified sail that had a shorter upper section that reduced the sail area to 60 square feet. However, even though the sail was smaller, it was still too powerful because of the stiff lower mast section. The stiffness also led to a lee helm since the mast couldn't bend to move the center of effort on the sail aft. This rig was sort of unpopular. The intention was to make a smaller sailboat that would be a little less powerful, giving more control to the sailor who weighs 110-140 pounds.