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Podium for Southeast Sailboats
Southeast Sailboats Max Hunt finished 2nd GrandMaster and 4th overall out of the 54 starters. Now back in the workshop/office and orders are shipping.
Kicker/Vang Systems Guide and FAQ
Kicker/Vang Systems - What's Important: Updated May 2024 In common with all control systems, the performance of a kicker system is determined by the quality and size of the blocks and the line that is used. A better performing kicker...
US Masters Radial National Championship win
Southeast Sailboats customer Andrew Holdsworth recently won the US Masters Radial National Championship held at The Gorge in Oregan. This is what Andrew had to say about Southeast Sailboats…”Earlier this year I met Max from Southeast Sailboats at an International Sailing Academy Laser sailing camp in La Cruz Mexico. As we got to know each other he explained his business that makes up Laser control lines. This intrigued me as I never had achieved the perfect set of lines neither had the time o...
Go with Flo 4.7 Optimised Outhaul System
We have been working with Laser 4.7 U16 European champion Flo Nicholls to optimise an outhaul system for the 4.7. It is now available!. Flo, has had a busy few months – here is a great write up from her….I have just completed my school exams and after a brief break from sailing, I am itching to get back into my Laser 4.7. I was so happy with my result in Greece during the Easter Holidays at the Laser 4.7 European Championships, winning the U16 European Champion Title is of course fantastic a...
Good Rigging Matters
Look around the dinghy park at a major Laser event will show you that even at the highest level there is no ‘right way’ to rig your control lines. Much of how we rig our Laser is down to what we are comfortable with, maybe we just haven’t changed what seems to work, or perhaps we don’t think that good rigging matters – but it does.
Good control systems are important as it takes one more variable out of your racing: good controls are strong, well built, they allow you to trim your sail correct...
Important Information for our customers in the USA
UPDATED 29TH AUGUST 2025.
On the 29th August the current $800 de-minimis customs exemption for packages arriving in the United States ended, and tariffs must now be paid before shipments arrive. This is as a result of an Executive Order dated 31 July 2025.
To ensure that shipments to our US customers by post and UPS courier continue to pass through customs as smoothly as they have done in the past, deliveries are now on a Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) basis. To enable this, we have modified th...
Micky Beckett on Palma and Hyeres
A great write up by Southeast Sailboats sponsored sailor Micky Beckett on his first major events of 2023..
Palma World Cup and Hyeres Olympic week
Palma World Cup is normally the first highly anticipated regatta of the year, the first real occasion to put the winter’s training to the test and it is an event that indicates the competitive season has begun. Except this year it wasn’t the first event. Most competitors arrived directly from the ILCA Europeans in Andorra, Italy. The other Brits an...
Southeast Sailboats sponsors Chapman Petersen
Southeast Sailboats may be based in the UK, but for years we have been providing our custom rigging solutions to sailors worldwide. Southeast Sailboats is therefore excited to add Chapman Petersen as a sponsored sailor. At just 19, Chapman is now part of the US Sailing Team and will represent the USA at both the Pan American Games and the Olympic Test Event in 2023.
Chapman studies Management Science & Engineering at Stanford University. Southeast Sailboats has been working with Chapma...
Micky Beckett wins in Palma
It's back to back wins for Micky Beckett at the Princess Sofia Regatta in Palma, Majorca. Sponsored by Southeast Sailboats since 2016, Micky Beckett helps develop and test our world class control line systems for the ILCA.
Celebrating 50 Years .....
Just out is the UKLA's Yearbook, celebrating 50 years of the greatest singlehander. A great read! You can find it on Issuu here
One Wild Ride – Round Ireland Solo Challenge
It was great to finally meet up with Gary ‘Ted’ Sargent yesterday at the RYA Dinghy Show in London and to hear about his amazing adventure first hand. Ted gave the audience a fantastic talk about the whole experience of sailing his Laser dinghy around Ireland, raising over 33,000 Euros for the Irish charity ChildVision. What an amazing guy.
CarbonParts was proud to have sponsored his epic adventure. You can find a compass like the one Ted used here at Southeast Sailboats – CarbonParts exclusi...
Allen Dynamic Tii blocks added to our solutions
We have just added Allen 20mm and 30mm Dynamic Tii blocks as cost effective options for our range of customised outhaul and downhaul systems and components. To give you the widest choice, our unique ready to fit systems and assemblies are now available with Ronstan 20mm Orbit blocks, Allen 20mm and 30mm Dynamic Tii blocks, and Harken 18mm and 29mm T2 Carbo blocks!
New block plate released!
Upgrade your Laser by using 29mm Harken Carbo Blocks fitted to a genuine Laser Performance block plate. Our new bolted version also enables the blocks to be moved from boat to boat. You can choose to buy the complete assembly, or just the individual blocks. Have a look at our video which shows how to install the individual blocks, and also shows the blocks being used with a ‘spider’ compass mount.
New stronger kicker key – available now!
It’s here! New stronger Laser kicker/vang key. In September, Southeast Sailboats asked Harken if they could supply a stronger version of the kicker key and it is now available. The new version (left) has a thicker disk at the top of the key compared with the older version (right). If you use the MkII standard sail, which puts additional loads on the kicker, this is a low cost, class legal upgrade. Just £4.95 plus £1.50 postage in the UK, or £8.45 (approx US$ 11.25, € 9.50) including worldwi...
Our new Premium Mainsheet
Our new premium mainsheet – Marlow Excel Fusion in 6mm. 12 strand SK78 Dyneema core with a 16 plait blended Dyneema/polypropylene cover. Minimal elongation due to the Dyneema, and very light weight in comparison to other mainsheets. Zero water absorption means that it stays light. This is a grippy mainsheet but easy on the hands. More details and pricing
ILCA Rule Changes – Aramid Fibre
NEWS! Technora based control lines – class legal from 1 January 2019 and now available for all our systems.In late 2017, Southeast Sailboats submitted a rule change proposal to ILCA to remove the Laser class restriction on Aramid fibres for the kicker/vang and cunningham. The rule change, voted on during 2018, has just been released by ILCA enabling Southeast Sailboats to sell class legal control line systems using harder wearing Technora® control lines that are made with aramid fibre.Throug...
Harken 29mm Fly™ Block Added
We have added the amazing Harken 2171 29mm Fly™ block to our ever increasing range of solutions. This is a high end solution for those seeking the ultimate and where cost isn’t a limiting factor. You can find the block and some custom solutions using it under the Ropes, Block menu or via this link
Michael Beckett – a summary of the last few months…
Just back from the Europeans in Porto, Southeast Sailboats sponsored sailor has written this excellent write up of the last few months of competitions around Europe….
“Last week saw the close of the Senior European championships in Porto, the final event in the big European season. For the remainder of the year the focus moves towards the other end of the world, in Japan. The Senior Worlds are in July in Sakaiminato, the Olympic test event is in Enoshima in August and is shortly followed by ...
Selecting Control Lines
Updated August 2021 following Olympics! Polytech now standard Technora line.
The main factors involved in selecting control line are useability (rope diameter, feel, grip in the hands, and colour differentiation), durability (basically how long will it last), and suitability (strength/elongation/stretch). In this article I will explain how these factors apply to each system, and what I believe are the best lines that we offer to use.
We should point out that there are many rope manufacturers...
Florida Masters Midwinters East
Southeast Sailboats is back in the workshop splicing up orders after meeting customers and competing at US Sailing Center Jensen Beach. What a great event it was, with perfect weather, wind and wonderful hospitality. It was great to meet so many of my US customers. Southeast Sailboats even managed a podium finish!
Comparing Marlow Excel Fusion and Rooster Polilite® mainsheets
– by Michael Beckett Team GBR Laser sailor
“I have spent years alternating between the Marlow Excel Fusion and the Rooster Polilite® mainsheets. Both are very high performing 6mm ropes to have as a mainsheet. Let me explain my thoughts on each, and hopefully this article will help you understand the relative merits of these two mainsheets.
Because of the different fibres/construction used in each rope, they feel and wear differently.
The Marlow is a relatively hard rope, and as a result can...
ILCA Sails in stock
We have ILCA4 (4.7), ILCA 6 (Radial) and a very limited number of ILCA 7 (Standard) sails in stock with free delivery in the UK. Plus if you need it – our sail service –
Matilda Nicholls on 2024
“It’s been a really busy year so far with the Olympics fast approaching. Starting it off in Argentina for the Worlds was amazing! Massive waves made for epic sailing and Argentina’s hospitality was incredible. I ended up in 16th overall and despite this being one of my best Senior performances so far, I couldn’t help but think about what I had lost out on the final day of fleet racing as I had dropped from the top 10.
Shortly after, I received a call to say our Olympic trials had ended. I wa...
Matilda Nicholls on Palma and Hyeres
A great write up by Southeast Sailboats sponsored sailor Matilda Nicholls on her first major events of 2023.
After a long winter of training, I was really excited for the first major events of the season to begin. It’s only my second year competing in these major Senior competitions since moving out of the youth fleets which made me even more excited to head back to Palma for the first competition, the Princess Sofia Regatta. It was also great to see so many familiar faces again with this bei...
Micky Beckett triumphs in Palma - again!
Massive congratulations to Micky Beckett on his 3rd consecutive win at the prestigious Princess Sofia regatta in Palma with a day to spare! Just awesome... Sponsored by Southeast Sailboats since 2016 Micky has been comprehensively testing control systems at the toughest championships and providing ideas for incremental improvements. Micky will represent Great Britain at the 2024 Olympics.
Photo credit: Sailing Energy
Senior Europeans - Great results for Southeast Sponsored sailors
Congratulations to Southeast Sailboats sponsored sailors Micky Beckett and Matilda Nicholls on their results at the recent European championships. Micky, defending his 2021 title, was narrowly beaten into second position by Olympic medallist and multiple world champion Pavlos Kontides. Matilda scored a personal best 4th place, an amazing achievement.
Hiking Strap /Toestrap tension
GBR Team sailor and European Champion Micky Beckett has written this article for us...
"The most under-rated control line on your ILCA/Laser, is your hiking strap/toestrap adjustment system. I’ve seen all kinds of systems that don’t really work and a handful that just about do. What a working system can offer you is real control over your boat and an ability to transfer power from your kinetics through the boat into straight line speed.
So, let’s get down to it, how tight or loose should your...
Optimised tillers for ILCA and Laser dinghies
Updated December 2022 to reflect latest BlackDog dimensions. We have added tillers and extensions to our ever expanding range. Tiller selection used to be fairly simple. Read on to find out what it maybe isn’t as simple as it used to be!
Manufactured items have tolerances and the ILCA/Laser dinghy is no exception. Be it mast rake, gudgeon height or other less obvious factors, there are always some variations between boats, and also between boats from different manufacturers.
When it comes...
Team GBR sailor Micky Beckett's guide to the Olympic Men's Singlehander
This Olympics will be riveting, for a myriad of reasons there has never been one quite like it. The event will consist of a ten-race series plus medal race spread over up to eight days, with just one discard. Racing will take place in Enoshima, a small peninsula in the middle of the South-facing Sagami bay. Even in summer the bay can produce a lethal swell as the seabed shelves from nearly a kilometre deep up to the shallow depths near the coast. Not many events contain a provision in the sai...
NEW! Elite level traveller
Our 5mm SK78 traveller works great and has been the traveller used by both myself and GBR Team sailor Micky Beckett for years. However in the constant desire to improve and develop something better, we have spent over a year developing a new traveller.
A traveller has to do a number of things, and for one traveller to do all of them well is incredibly difficult. Let’s look at what’s important:
Cleat well: One of the biggest problems with some 12 strand Dyneema lines is that they are usuall...
The most popular Laser compass in Rio
4 out of the 10 Laser Women’s and 3 out of the 10 Men’s medal race competitors were using the CarbonParts compass! Tactical version in stock for immediate delivery
PROtect tapes mast step wear protection disk added
We have just added the PROtect tapes wear protection disk to our ever increasing range of parts for your Laser
Southeast Sailboats at the Dinghy Show
Southeast Sailboats will be at the London Dinghy Show this weekend. Come and see us on the Marlow Ropes stand G42 on Sunday at 12.30-1.10 where we will be doing some splicing demonstrations, showing how we make our world class rigging for the Laser.
Laser Masters Europeans 2019
Fantastic to see Southeast Sailboats customers on 8 of the 10 podiums at this great event. Well done to everyone!
Sails and Numbering Service
Southeast Sailboats has just added sails, numbers, country codes and, if required, a full sail number application service.
Soft Shackles now available!
These new soft shackles have been specially designed for your deck blocks. Soft attaching the deck blocks ensures that the block can find the optimum angle, especially when reaching or running. Available for Harken 29mm and Allen 30mm block, you can buy just the soft shackles or a kit including the blocks… see more here
Updated Payments Options
Updated 16th March 2021 to reflect our new website. Our new website now offers the ability to see prices and pay in multiple currencies, and to obtain tax-free prices. When you select a currency other that GBP£ you will see tax free prices, which is the price that you will pay provided that your delivery address is outside of the UK. Please note that to pay in currency other than GBP£ use the credit/debit card checkout as PayPal is only in GBP£.
Sales to the European Union. On the 31st Dec...
Southeast Sailboats visit Harken HQ
It was a pleasure to be invited by the Harken top team to visit their headquarters and factory in Pewaukee, Wisconsin USA. Southeast Sailboats works closely with the worlds leading manufacturers in helping influence the design and test upcoming products. These close relationships help keep Southeast Sailboats at the forefront of ILCA rigging.
A factory tour, plus in-depth discussions on a number of areas, made this a great trip. Many thanks to Harken for their hospitality.
Weka Bhanubandh ILCA4 World Champion!
Congratulations to Thailand’s Weka Bhanubandh on an impressive win at the ILCA4 World Championships. Southeast Sailboats is proud to have supplied the custom set of rigging that Weka used for the event!
Chartering? What to take with you...
Chartering an ILCA for your next event and unsure what you need to take? I have put together the following to help remind you what you may need to take. Charter boats may come with more than we are assuming, but in recent years what comes on/with your charter boat seems to be reducing so we have erred on the cautious side. Let’s start with the obvious and then move bow to stern over all the smaller bits that you may forget to pack, and finish up with a few spares that you should consider.
Southeast Sailboats sponsors Team GBR Sailor Michael Beckett
Southeast Sailboats is proud to announce it is sponsoring GBR Team Laser sailor Michael Beckett. Michael was voted Podium Potential Sailor of the Year at the 2016 British Sailing Team Annual Awards by his peers. Southeast Sailboats will provide Michael with unique custom made Laser control systems. We wish Michael great success in 2017.
Top 10 finish for Michael Beckett at Sailing World Cup Miami
Southeast Sailboats sponsored GBR Team sailor Michael Beckett had a great first event of 2017. Read what Michael has to say below….
“Miami World Cup was the first event of the 2017 World Cup series, and the first major gathering of the World’s best sailors since the Rio Olympics. It was also my first event as a full time sailor so I was looking forwards to seeing what impact a hard winters training would have on my performance.After a 10 race opening series I just managed to do enough to stay...
Back from Winter Training
As you may have seen on our website Southeast Sailboats was away for some winter training at the International Sailing Academy in La Cruz, Mexico. Many thanks to coach Vaughn Harrison, and fellow sailors – Canadian Olympic sailor Brenda Bowskill, Sail Canada National Team Member Sarah Douglas, top US radial sailor Gage Wilson and Canadian radial sailor Isaac Bussin for a great week.
Michael Beckett on the Princess Sofia Regatta, Palma Mallorca
“Palma’s Princess Sofia regatta is over for another year, proving to be an exceptionally tough regatta with every sailor at some point finding themselves at the wrong end of a major shift. I started the week well, however I had to count one big score too many to make the medal race and finished 15th out of the 134 strong fleet.
The more random and unpredictable conditions are, the more it makes sense to look towards making gains in the areas easiest to control, and boat preparation is a major...
Composite Top Section – Myth busting and what you need to know
This post was published in May 2017
The introduction of the long awaited composite top section was probably not one of ILCA’s finest moments with a lack of availability meaning that although class legal they weren’t allowed at events as people simply couldn’t buy them. The first event to allow them was the Delta Lloyd regatta which has just taken place in Holland. The following article, written for Southeast Sailboats by Team GBR sailor Michael Beckett should provide you with everything you n...