If this rules change passes on its


September 23, 2011 vote (the deadline for ILCA members to cast their ballots), it will set aside all commercial rights deals that Kirby made with Global Sailing and the Spencer family. Besides setting the dangerous precedent of a class voting to set aside commercial rights, this move opens the door for LaserPerformance Europe (a Laser trademark holder) to manufacture boats it calls “Lasers”, but that are slightly different from the dinghies we know and love. Moreover, it also creates a situation where Global Sailing could sell “Kirby Dinghies” that perfectly match our definition of Lasers, but under a different name (both Global Sailing and LaserPerformance Europe have threatened the ILCA with these ramifications). Most importantly for Laser sailors, this move could tear the Laser class into three factions, Global Sailing (and Performance Sailcraft Australia), LaserPerformance Europe (and their parent company LaserPerformance) and the ILCA, which seems to be siding heavily with LaserPerformance. A civil war of this magnitude would almost certainly


“This proposed rule change would be a disaster for the class,” said Kirby in a Sail-World.com interview. “I made a very considered choice as to who I would like to look after the rights of the designer, builders and Laser sailors. I chose the Spencer family because they are longtime builders. They are financially secure and have been dedicated sailors for generations. It’s not something I did lightly and I did it for the good of the class.”


destroy the Laser’s International Class status—and therefore its Olympic status—and potentially ruin one of the strongest One Design classes in history.


“This proposed rule change would


be a disaster for the class,” said Kirby in a Sail-World.com interview. “I made a very considered choice as to who I would like to look after the rights of the designer, builders and Laser sailors. I chose the Spencer family because they are longtime builders. They are financially secure and have been dedicated sailors for generations. It’s not something I did lightly and I did it for the good of the class.”


©Photo by Neil Rabinowitz, www.neilrabinowitz.com In addition to his concern over


sailors and the class, Kirby is also worried about the possible precedents that this could set for other designers and other classes. “Global Sailing owns those rights,” reported Kirby. “If this rule change was to come into play, it would be a disaster - to suddenly expose all designers who want to have International Class boats to a major legal precedent.” So, before voting “Yes” to the


ILCA’s proposed rules changes, carefully consider all that’s at stake, both in the Laser class, and in sailing’s bigger picture.


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48° NORTH, JULY 2011 PAGE 47 6/8/11 1:59 PM


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