Laerling | Youth Sailing!

The Features of the Laerling

When the Norwegian designer Jan Herman Linge conceptualised the Laerling, he especially had in mind the most ideal features for teaching kids to sail and making them enthusiastic about sailing. Since this two-person youth boat is equipped with a keel, the boat is stable and can't topple over. First of all this offers safety and furthermore, with beginners it takes away the fear of being swept away. This makes it easy for children to sail the waters unassisted. The cockpit is roomy enough to have an adult, an instructor or a parent sail with a child. This is why the Laerling is also so popular among sailing schools.

This keelboat has the same features and is equipped in the same way as a Regatta boat for adults; only in this boat this is all on a smaller scale. The Laerling is manufactured for the Baltic Sea waters and therefore it can take a tough wind without having the cockpit fill up with water. The 400-litre built-in foam ensures a free gangway even if the cockpit is filled with water. The Laerling is equipped with a main sail, a jib and a spinnaker all made by Gaastra.

Stability is guaranteed by the 60 kg detachable ballast in the fixed keel that makes the boat self-righting at any angle. This ballast is divided into 5 parts of 12 kg each. These parts are laid one on top of the other in the keel and fastened with bolt and wing nut. The ratio of 60:140 between the ballast and the total weight of the boat is very beneficial. Since recently the Laerling is equipped with a self-draining cockpit. The Laerling is equipped with Ronstan fittings and the Laerling trailer is made by Kalf.