April 26, 2019
"Laser" changes its name.
The International Laser Class Association (ILCA) made an official announcement on April 25. From this day on, all new certified vessels of this class will be sold under the name ILCA Dinghy.
And the name ILCA Dinghy will henceforth be officially used to designate a class during a competition.
The reasons for this decision of the International Association, we have recently told. It is connected with the scandal between ILCA and the largest manufacturer of yachts of this class – the company Laser Performance (Europe) Limited.
Recall that at the end of March, the International Association ceased any cooperation with Laser Performance and began searching for companies that could replace it. It was stressed: this decision was made due to the fact that Laser Performance refused to allow ILCA inspectors to its shipyard. This violated the terms of the agreement with the ILCA, which ensured the identity of the “Laser” class vessels.
As we already wrote, Laser Performance (Europe) Limited, located in the UK, is not just the largest manufacturer of yachts of this class. It is almost a monopolist, since the company owns 85 percent (!) Of the world market. According to some reports, it has built 215,000 yachts!
Before the outbreak of the conflict, Laser Performance had rights granted by the same ILCA to the production and sale of Lasers and their accessories all over the world. The only exceptions were 4 countries – Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Korea. In addition, it so happened that Laser Performance owns the commercial rights to a brand called "Laser" in the world (with the exception of the same four countries).
That is why ILCA decided to change the name of new yachts: thanks to this, the International Association deprives Laser Performance (Europe) Limited products of official status. From now on these ships can only be trained.
All this, the ILCA statement emphasizes, does not apply to yachts produced by Laser Performance until April 25, 2019. They can participate in competitions on an equal footing with ILCA Dinghy.
237 April 26, 2019 # 8968
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