As of April 2023 these were Devoti Sailing s.r.o., Czech Republic, Element 6 Evolution Co., Ltd., Thailand, Far East Boats, P. R. China, Nautivela srl, Italy, Ovington Boats Ltd, Great Britain, Performance Sailcraft Australia, Performance Sailcraft Japan, Rio Tecna srl, Argentina, and Qingdao Zou Inter Marine Co., Ltd., China.

While discussing the possibility of a car-topped dinghy (a boat small enough to be carried on a roof rack of a typical car) for a line of camping equipment, Bruce Kirby sketched what would be known as "the million dollar doodle".

The plans stayed with Kirby until 1970 when One Design and Offshore Yachtsman magazine held a regatta for boats under $1000, called "America's Teacup".

The prototype was originally named the "Weekender"; the sail held the letters TGIF, a common American abbreviation for "Thank God it's Friday".

[2][3] The Laser sailboat was officially unveiled at the New York Boat Show in 1971 where many purchase orders were placed.

As world-wide demand grew, they realized that regional licensing the manufacturing would deliver boats more economically than exporting them from Canada.

Sailors are prohibited from making any changes to the hull, sail, and spars unless specifically and positively permitted by the rules and are only allowed to use original parts.

The hull weight is 59 kg (130 lb), which makes the boat light enough to lift onto a car-top rack.

It has been sailed as the Olympic men's singlehanded dinghy since the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.The Standard Laser uses a Portsmouth Yardstick of 1101[clarification needed]for racing involving other classes.

The optimal weight for this rig is 110–145 pounds (50–66 kg), thus becoming an ideal boat for young sailors moving from the Optimist/RS Tera who are still too light for a normal Laser.

Laser world championships are held in all three rigs and across junior, open, and masters age groups.

The association plays a major role in ensuring conformity to Laser class rules worldwide.

[14] Kirby required the International Sailing Federation on March 25, 2013, to ask the International Laser Class Association to stop issuing ISAF license plaques to LaserPerformance (Europe) Limited, claiming that LaserPerformance were no longer a licensed builder.

[15] Instead ISAF and the ILCA issued a new plaque design,[16] and changed the class rules so that a builder no longer needed to be licensed by Bruce Kirby.