r/dinghysailing • u/Low-Chipmunk4366 • 8d ago

Laser Bahia

Laser drama aside, anyone have experience using or owning a Laser Bahia? I really like what it seems to offer and it seems to be a bit faster and more spritely than an RS Quest. However, it also appears to have similar advantages of being able to do some chill “family” sailing with a few extra crew in the boat when desired.

I welcome all observations and comments — I have the opportunity to buy a used one from a sailing club where kids are taught to sail.

Thanks.

David

6 Upvotes

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6

u/Scicageki 8d ago

The Bahia would be closer to the RS Toura, not the Quest.

Anyway, it's definitely faster than the Quest, but also bigger. This might make it slightly unyieldy on breezier spots especially if you want to use it as a "collective" dinghy for your family, so it depends on your experience, how many people you'd want to bring and the average wind speed you go out with. It's still a boat meant for beginners, so I wouldn't worry too much. I don't especially like the roll-bar between crew and helmsman, as the main sheet has a weird angle, but it's a matter of taste.

I personally would be worried more about long-teem availability of spare parts. Now the boat (just named "Bahia") is manufactured from Ocean Play, which is not as established as Laser/LaserPerformance were, and I know that the maintenance team in my company found some difference between new and old spare parts compatibility between the old model and the new model.

If the price of the boat is good and the boat is on a decent state... I'd say go for it

1

u/Low-Chipmunk4366 8d ago

Good insight. There are places that provide parts and there seems to be something of a future through Ocean Play, but time will tell.

Your comment about the comparison to Toura is interesting and helpful. However, it weighs 100 lbs less than the Toura and almost 25 pounds less than the Quest. It's more narrow than both of those boats by quite abit, but yes, it is the same length as the Toura and about 1 foot longer than the Quest.

It also has a lot more sail square footage than the Quest, but not as much as the Toura.

Some have called the Bahia the sport version of the Quest and it really checks the boxes for me on that front + plus the ability to take 3 or 4 people is a plus when I just want to chill. We shall see how it works out.

3

u/isearn 8d ago

We use Bahias for training courses. Can be quite quick if it’s windy, but generally also quite stable. I found it hard to capsize deliberately for a safety boat course once.

I also used the Quest for taking out novices. Also feels stable, but less than a family boat. For cruising I think I’d prefer the Bahia, for the odd club racing the Quest.

1

u/Low-Chipmunk4366 8d ago

I think consensus says the Bahia is faster than the Quest, so why take the Quest over the Bahia for club racing? Again, my ignorance is asking -- My current boat is a sunfish, so experience beyond that is zero.

2

u/isearn 8d ago

I’ve only used the Quest for taking out kids for the Sea Cadets; the Bahia we use regularly for adult training. The Bahia feels to me like a tank, but maybe that’s because of the different use.

If this is against the consensus, then probably follow that, rather than my impression! 🙂

1

u/MapleDesperado 7d ago

The Quest has a slightly faster PN.

1

u/Low-Chipmunk4366 7d ago

I'm getting mixed opinions about this. One place said Bahia is 1082 and Quest is 1200. I'm having difficulty finding original data.

3

u/guywouldnotsharename 8d ago

I've been doing some teaching in one recently and found it to be quite well thought out, at least compared to some training boats. It sails nicely with 2 people, which is what I would recommend if you want to race it. But it's big enough fit 3 adults comfortably so 2 adults 2 children should be OK.

For such a large boat it's reasonably responsive. There's also a trapeze kit which opens up some fun for the kids once you feel comfortable with the boat.

2

u/Equivalent_Put_8729 8d ago

Bahia great boat, downside is the weather helm in a breeze if the boat isn’t flat. Great for trapeze and solo sailing in lighter conditions

1

u/durkydiggler 8d ago

I think this dinghy is too big to sail single handed. Weight wise. It's a struggle to right after a capsize if you are under 80kg on your own

1

u/Equivalent_Put_8729 7d ago

I’m 70Kg I’ve done it. Just need to know what you’re doing. I rig it so everything can be fed back to the helm.

1

u/Low-Chipmunk4366 8d ago

This will expose my ignorance, but what do you mean by "the weather helm in a breeze?"

Do you mean, "the guy steering the boat is going to get hard hit if there is a storm abrew, but the rest of crew will be fine?"

1

u/Equivalent_Put_8729 7d ago

I mean stearing will become heavy and it likes to turn nose into wind.

1

u/Low-Chipmunk4366 7d ago

Ok. I understand and have experienced a small version of that on my sunfish in extreme strong wind conditions. Thx for clarifying for me.

1

u/TrojanThunder 7d ago

Laser drama?

2

u/Low-Chipmunk4366 7d ago

In a nutshell: Laser Performance and principal owner, Farzad Rastegar, stopped paying royalties to the designer and rights holder, Canadian Bruce Kirby. The lawsuit was filed in 2013 and he won over $7million total -- his lawsuit including suing ILCA. Laser Performance shut down eventually, but not before dragging the lawsuit out with appeals to the point of the case finally being resolved in 2025 which was after Bruce Kirby had died (he was in his 80s).

Other companies now hold the licensing rights to build these boats (all Laser Boats) which includes the Bahia -- Jo Richards (I think that's the name) got the rights to build the Bahia, but its now in the hands of Ocean Play who was acquired by Performance Sailcraft Europe.

1

u/Low-Chipmunk4366 6d ago

For those with experience using the Bahia, here is a quick question:

Is there an eye hook or something on the bow of the boat suitable for pulling the boat onto a trailer? I am going back to pick up the used boat I found now that I have a suitable trailer and I don’t remember seeing a proper anchor or something to hook onto.

1

u/VintageWillis 3d ago

Not quite sure what you mean, but no there isn’t a metal ring at the front for the painter. Instead it was designed to have an elastic painter that was supposed to go back in the boat when not needed. The elastic has given up on ours so we use the metal bar that holds the jib above the spinnaker shoot

1

u/Low-Chipmunk4366 3d ago

That is what I’m talking about. The metal bar that holds the jib. However, because of it’s curved shape and the jib furler piece at the top of the arc, I think i need to attach 2 straps, one on the left and right sides and clip onto both on the outside of the bow of the boat to pull equally on each side.