About the Boat



The world’s most popular adult and youth racing class. 

Originally known as the Laser, the ILCA dinghy is a single-handed racing dinghy. The biggest attraction of the ILCA dinghy is that it is protected by strict one-design class rules, which means that no changes are allowed to the boat unless they are specifically permitted in the rules. The result is that all ILCA boats are virtually identical, whether they are brand-new or 10 years old, making it the sailor that wins the race – not the boat. The ILCA dinghy is a challenging boat that rewards athleticism, subtle steering, and trimming techniques, as well as tactical excellence. It is a single-handed Olympic-class boat for both men and women and is sailed at club, national, and international levels. With over 225,000 boats in 140 countries, it is the world’s most popular adult and youth racing sailboat.

No fuss, just sailing.

One of the reasons the ILCA dinghy is so popular is the boat’s sheer simplicity. The two-part free-standing mast and sleeved sail make the boat easy to rig, and its lightweight hull makes it easy to carry and cartop.

A boat for life.

The ILCA formula combines one hull with three different rigs: ILCA 4, ILCA 6, and ILCA 7. Young sailors starting out in the ILCA 4 can move up in rig sizes as they grow physically and develop tactically without the need to buy a complete new boat every few years. The one-design protection also means that your boat will never be outdated, which explains why ILCA dinghies have such high resale values.

Finally, a strong class association that actively promotes and drives forward sailing around the globe makes mass production of the ILCA dinghy viable, keeping the cost of the boats and spares relatively low.