One of the first things we learn with sailing is how to rig our boat. Unfortunately, we may also learn about vote rigging!
The international Laser class ILCA launched earlier this month a vote to modifiy one of its internal regulations to allow builders to produce boats under another name, such as the ILCA dinghy, or under the form of generic boats.
This vote has potentially huge commercial implications, as it would in theory allow the two remaining builders – Performance Sailcraft Japan, and Performance Sailcraft Australia – to export boats through dealers in all the regions where LaserPerformance / Velum currently holds the Laser trademarks (Europe, North America, South America, most of Asia, Africa).
With the termination of LaserPerformance as a builder, there is an annual multi-million dollar market at stake for new boats, sails and parts, as LaserPerformance had over a 80% market share globally, prior to its March 2019 termination by the Laser class. Read on.
