Where to Buy
Buying a RC Laser (editorial opinion - Mike Zani, October 2024)
Buying used: A used boat, if you can find one, can be a pretty good deal as often you get a lot of extra gear (bags, covers, stands, multiple sails, etc.). Even little things like sail numbers being already installed can be really nice features of a used boat.
A few things to ask yourself when buying used:
Buying “new” from Intensity:
Note on the stock controller: The controller that comes with the kit is not very good. It has limited range (distance the boat can sail from you). It does not have the full range of motion needed to race the boat (i.e. you cannot pull the sail in enough and let it out enough). Upgrading the RC controller is not terribly expensive or hard. A good controller can be purchased for $55.
Note on sails: to sail the boat in a range of wind conditions it is nice to have the A rig (0-6 knots), B rig (6-13 knots), C rig (13-20 knots), D rig (20+). Rigging and re-rigging the mast and boom with a new sail each time you change things out is a bit time consuming. It is very nice to have a separate mast and boom for each sail, so that you just change the rig out and do not have to bother with taking the sail on/off. The sail bag is designed to store 4 complete rigs.
Therefore I suggest:
The stand that is offered from Intensity is OK (not a must have), but it does fit in the bag. It is not very good when it is windy and your sail is up as the boat can capsize. It is nice when rigging and letting it dry after sailing with the sail down. A lot of handy folks make their own stands.
Buying used: A used boat, if you can find one, can be a pretty good deal as often you get a lot of extra gear (bags, covers, stands, multiple sails, etc.). Even little things like sail numbers being already installed can be really nice features of a used boat.
A few things to ask yourself when buying used:
- Do the electronics work (transmitter $50, receiver $15, winch $40, rudder servo $20). Try them out. Look at the connections for corrosion.
- Was it stored well? Does it look well maintained?
- Do the sails look fresh and without creases or fold. The telltales (or lack thereof) can be a good indicator of how much the boat was sailed.
- Does it come with extras?
- When was it last sailed (the more recently the batter)? Did it race (a good thing)?
- Tilt the hull back and forth - is there any sound of water in the hull?
Buying “new” from Intensity:
- Buy the base kits $350 - this comes with the RC controller and the B rig.
Note on the stock controller: The controller that comes with the kit is not very good. It has limited range (distance the boat can sail from you). It does not have the full range of motion needed to race the boat (i.e. you cannot pull the sail in enough and let it out enough). Upgrading the RC controller is not terribly expensive or hard. A good controller can be purchased for $55.
Note on sails: to sail the boat in a range of wind conditions it is nice to have the A rig (0-6 knots), B rig (6-13 knots), C rig (13-20 knots), D rig (20+). Rigging and re-rigging the mast and boom with a new sail each time you change things out is a bit time consuming. It is very nice to have a separate mast and boom for each sail, so that you just change the rig out and do not have to bother with taking the sail on/off. The sail bag is designed to store 4 complete rigs.
Therefore I suggest:
- Boat bag - this keeps all your gear together and makes transitioning in/out of your car easy.
- Sail bag - this is an amazing item. Sails can be damaged by dumb stuff (they blow down the dock, a person or dog sits on them, etc.). Having all of your rigs in a bag helps to prevent this.
- A sail, A-mast and a boom
- C Sail, C-mast and a boom (cut the C-boom down to 18”
- Buy 2 boom sliding fairleads per boom
- Buy 1 mainsheet attachment per boom
- I would buy sail number for each sail. Check with your fleet before buying a number to make sure that number is not already in use.
The stand that is offered from Intensity is OK (not a must have), but it does fit in the bag. It is not very good when it is windy and your sail is up as the boat can capsize. It is nice when rigging and letting it dry after sailing with the sail down. A lot of handy folks make their own stands.