How does the Raptor compare in performance, price, and features to small monohull sailboats?
First and foremost, the Raptor is a true “car toppable” boat. Most small monohulls are not. The heaviest single part of the Raptor (the main hull) weighs only 45 lbs., and the entire boat, fully rigged, weighs only 95 lbs. By contrast, a Laser hull weighs about 130 lbs., and the boat fully rigged weighs about 155 lbs. A single person of average strength can easily lift the Raptor’s main hull on and off a car top rack; the Laser is a real struggle for most people. Second, the Raptor’s overall performance under sail is superior to that of the Laser and to that of comparable monohulls in the 12 to 16 foot LOA range. In nearly all wind conditions, and on all points of sail, the Raptor is faster than the Laser. This is in part due to the fact that the Raptor has 90 square feet of sail area to the Laser’s 76 square feet, and the Raptor has a sail area to displacement ratio of 39.6, whereas the Laser’s is only 27.8. Unlike small catamarans, the Raptor maneuvers and tacks almost as quickly as
