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April 01, 2025 3 min read

ILCA Sails by Hyde - a deeper dive into the materials and features

For those who are still unsure about ILCA sails, they are The Class Legal and Official Sails for the International Laser Class Association(ILCA). Hyde has been making sails for the ILCA since the early 80s due to their Highly accurate manufacturing templates and manufacturing methods. They are the longest supplier of ILCA/Sails worldwide.


Here at Sailing Chandlery we can offer you the sail or an ILCA sail or rig package.

ILCA / Laser Rigs what to pick

The ILCA / Laser has 3 main Rig options. ILCA, 4, 6, 7 These are also known as Laser Standard, Radial and 4.7. The rigs differ in size to help broaden the weight range of sailors and make this a boat for life.

You can start as a child in the ILCA 4 from 45KG to a fully grown adult just by swapping the size of the sail.


Estimated Weight Recommendation 

ILCA 4 / Laser 4.7 weight range is 45kg-60kg

ILCA 6 / Laser Radial weight range is 60-75kg

ILCA 7 / Laser Standard weight range is 75-90kg


The rigs can be easily swapped and a lot of Laser sailors have 2 Rigs one for stronger winds and one for lighter winds.


MKII Standard Sail/ New ILCA 7 Sail

In late 2015 The MKII Standard Sail was introduced after extensive testing and development of the new bi-radial cut sail.

This new version of the Standard/ ILCA 7 Sail was introduced witht the main intention of improving durability. Over the years the Laser/ ILCA has been upgraded with new purchase systems and these are being used on a sail that was not designed for these additional forces therefore hindering the durability and longevity of the MK1 sails.


What is the Difference between the MK1 and MKII

-New 4.5oz cloth instead of the 3.8oz cloth

-Radial Cut Cloth Over Cross Cut

-Additional and better-placed reinforcing patches on the mast sleeve

-MKII Batten Pockets and Battens With Velcro Pockets

-Bigger Window for visibility

All of these changes help to improve the durability and maintain the sail shape under load.


The ILCA 6 Sail / Laser Radial Sail has been available since the 80s and is aimed at sailors with a weight between 60 and 65 kg. This size makes it around 19% smaller than a ILCA7 / Standard Rig. The sail uses the same top mast section but requires a smaller bottom section specifically designed for the ILCA 6/ Radial sail. The Sail is easily identifiable due to the sail having blue corners.


Around the same time, the Radial Sail The ILCA 4 Sail / Laser 4.7 was introduced. The Sail is aimed at sailors Progressing from Toppers and Optimist with a weight between 45 and 60 kg. This size makes it around 18% smaller than a ILCA6 / Radial. The sail uses the same top mast section but requires a smaller bottom section specifically designed for the ILCA 4/ 4.7 sail. This ILCA 4 mast has a slight bend to move the centre of effort back on the boat. The Sail is easily identifiable due to the sail having Orange corners or previous 4.7 Logo on the Sail.


What Materials Are Used and Total Sail Area


ILCA 4/ Formerly 4.7 ILCA 6/ Formerly Radial ILCA 7 / Formerly Standard
Weight of Cloth 4.2oz 4.2oz 4.5oz
Material White Dacron
White Dacron
White Dacron
Sail Area 4.7 Square Meters 5.76 Square Meters
7.06 Square Meters
Batten Type MK1 Battens MK1 Batten MK2 Tapered Battens
Lower Mast Length 1810mm 2262mm
2865mm
Corner Colour Orange Blue White

ILCA Sail Packages

ILCA Sail Package includes,

-Sail / Foled Sail bag

-Battens

-Sail Numbers

ILCA Rig Packages

ILCA Rig Package includes,

-Sail / Folded Sail bag

-Battens

-Sail Numbers

-Lower Mast Section

ILCA Sail and Rig Extras