Frensi Launch at the RYA Dinghy and Watersports Show 2025
by Alison Cherrill 6 Feb 14:20 GMT
Frensi rig © Alison Cherrill
The RYA Dinghy & Watersports Show 2025 sees the launch of the Frensi - an exciting rig which makes your Laser dinghy more versatile and convenient to sail.
Ian Cherrill designed the rig after noticing how many Lasers were sitting around sailing club boat parks unused and unloved and wanted to make them more accessible and fun to sail.
When Ian lived and worked in the USA he first saw the Sunfish - a very popular dinghy on the beaches of the USA and Caribbean. The Sunfish has a "lateen" rig which is so simple to use.
Back in the UK, Ian coached a Laser 4.7 group at Frensham Pond Sailing Club and realised the complex rigging and the trouble launching in certain wind directions were barriers to learning which could put newcomers off. Younger sailors often needed help from their parents to rig and launch, had to arrive earlier before training began and got frustrated with the time it took to put the boat away.
To give Laser sailors an easier option, Ian created the Frensi rig and it can be fitted without any permanent modification to the boat. It is as easy to use as the Sunfish and Optimist rigs and will fit under the boat cover when down. If left on the boat, rigging and derigging can be finished in a couple of minutes. It uses a "no knots" approach so inexperienced sailors can rig a Frensi using loops and shackles. The Frensi is ideal for anyone who is time poor and it makes evening and lunchtime sailing more viable as it gives sailors more time on the water; less time on the shore. It is also great for holidays and exploring. If you want to stop for lunch you can just lower the sail and pull up on the shore.
The simple rigging and derigging process also makes it an ideal candidate for a club boat and the whole rig can be stored in one bag with the sail.
Ian said “I was determined to create a rig that was easy to fit and not change the integrity of the original dinghy in any way. It uses the standard bottom mast from the Laser and all the other parts can be added without altering your boat. I wanted to create an inexpensive route into sailing. Good second hand Lasers can often be purchased for less than £1000 and then you can just buy the Frensi rig to put on it”.
Re-using older Lasers improves the sport's sustainability and the Frensi uses the best local manufacturers to minimise shipping parts in from abroad. With Allen Brothers making the spars and Morgan Sails the sail, the rig is tough and well-engineered.
The Laser/ILCA hull is already a proven design and the Frensi gives existing owners a more versatile rig option they can take with them on adventures, but the simplicity and affordability of the Frensi should also give those new to sailing a great way into the sport.
Come and see the Frensi on stand 114 at the RYA Dinghy & Watersports Show 2025!
The Frensi is a Rotor-Rig Ltd design.