Helm balance and handling were improved using a shorter-footed mainsail with two full-width battens giving a larger roach.

The 3000 offers fast, exciting yet easy sailing, particularly for lighter sailors - couples, parent-child and teenage combinations are common at 3000 events.

The latter are constructed from woven glass and epoxy resin using vacuum-bagging to produce a boat which is very stiff and light yet durable.

Other innovations introduced with the boats included a centrally mounted bowsprit, a compression-strut kicker or 'Gnav' in place of the conventional kicking strap or boom vang, and ‘off-the-boom’ sheeting with a take-off block at mid-boom fed from an aft bridle.

The class rules permit all variations introduced since the original Laser 3000 to be retro-fitted to existing boats, which can generally be done with minimal trouble or expense.