You ve decided on the Optimist but which one? What advantage does McLaughlin offer youth sailing programs? The staff at McLaughlin is dedicated to the Optimist and youth sailing. We have degreed engineers, Optimist coaches and every management person is a sailor. Our factory is state of the art. We are fortunate to have access to the best materials and support staff in the world.
What makes the McLaughlin a better value? Below are some of the answers. If you ask around the sailing community and industry you will find countless testimonials. McLaughlin has been a sailboat builder in the US for over thirty-five years. We enjoy a reputation for high quality and durable sailboats (Snipe, Windmill, Lightning, Daysailer and Highlander) backed by the best service in the industry. We are a company and management that are accessible and can be held accountable. Our people, the staff at McLaughlin are dedicated to the Optimist and youth sailing. We have degreed engineers, Optimist coaches and every management person is a sailor. Our factory is state of the art. We are fortunate to have access to the best materials and support staff in the world. Simply put, there is absolutely no boat builder that is as knowledgeable about the Optimist or who spends as much time ensuring every detail is as good as it can be than McLaughlin. DURABILITY BUILT INTO EVERY BOAT It has been a long time since an independent study of all Optimist manufactures was conducted. But when PRACTICAL SAILOR did their study, McLaughlin achieved the distinction of being the best. Since then, The McLaughlin Optimist has only gotten better. Below are examples of what differentiates a McLaughlin from other builders. McLaughlin s mast deck support (partners) survives a dismasting better than any Optimist built. Ask any repair shop that does many of these repairs. Maximum allowable glass is used. The mast step is secured with special machine screws and Methacrylate adhesive to assure it never breaks free. No builder uses a better system and we guarantee it will never fail! Surface gelcoat is backed by black gelcoat. This assures the fiberglass technician sees and eliminates voids and builds a stronger laminate. Only the finest boat builders use this technique.
The use of expensive Methacrylate adhesives in high tensile, high impact areas to make glass-to-glass bond lines stronger then the substrate. Other builders use polyester putties, which are not as strong as the glass being bonded together. Steve Sherman with International class measurer Luis Horta Full use of the corner overlap tolerances to build a stronger boat. McLaughlin s corners (the framework of the Opti hull) are the thickest and strongest in the industry. Mclaughlin uses a custom biaxial glass with a 45 X 45 degree fiber orientation to build the most durable boat in the World. This material is produced to McLaughlin s specifications. There are boats built with a 0 90 biaxial and standard cloth. These weaves, which are readily available on the Asian market, are 50% less effective in preventing twist. Hull twist (stiffness) is a major factor in boat deterioration over time. All McLaughlin Hulls remain in the mold a minimum of 48 hours. This results in a more uniform hull. Most other manufactures pull the boat after 24 hours or less. McLAUGHLIN IS ACKNOWLEDGED AS THE FASTEST OPTIMIST IN THE WORLD This should not interest a youth sailing program at all. But it does! A fast hull needs to be a strong hull. McLaughlin, when going head to head with the best in the world, has beaten them soundly. We only build one hull. The racing hull that won the worlds is the same that will go to a sailing program just like yours. The detail finish-out of the McLaughlin is recognized the world over as the best. Place one beside any other Optimist and you can clearly see the difference!
STRONGEST GUARANTEE IN THE INDUSTRY: We will do whatever it takes to be sure you are completely satisfied with your Mclaughlin Optimist fleet up to and including a complete refund. THE OPTIMIST IS OUR PASSION AND OUR LIFE The staff at McLaughlin is dedicated to the Optimist and youth sailing. Far more then any other company we support the United States Optimist Dinghy Association with our manpower, imagination and funds. A few Examples: We are accessible. The president and department heads are reachable by e-mail and cell phone 24/7 to answer all your questions, year round. See http://64.235.243.140/~optistuf/info/company-contact.html We have donated the winning boats from the 2004 and 2002 World Championship to the Class as prizes in their annual membership drive. Annually, we contribute thousands of dollars worth of merchandise and certificates to fund raisers and regattas. McLaughlin built and donated the measurement tools used at all class events. McLaughlin sponsors the annual Optimist Christmas Clinic at Coral Reef Yacht Club featuring coaching by Spencer, Tom and some of the best international Optimist coaches available. When Hurricane Fabian hit Bermuda, grounding 30 of their Optimists, it was Steve Sherman, the President of McLaughlin, who flew over and repaired the boats at no cost (many of them other brands). In addition, he runs Gelcoat Repair clinics to help educate parents at USODA events. as well as his and Spencer s willingness to do on the spot repairs for anyone regardless of boat manufacturer.
Spencer Wiberley has been involved in junior sailing for years as instructor, program director and now as a volunteer coach for the USODA Development Team. You will find him at nearly every major Opti event in the US providing customer support and coaching the sailors without teams. Tom Coleman is regarded as the Green Fleet Guru and is directly responsible for changing Opti Green Fleet sailing in the US to a friendlier, more inclusive environment. He is also regarded as the premier Green Fleet coach in the US and conducts clinics at most all the USODA Championships as well as many JO Festivals and local regattas. Tom wrote the Rigging Guide in the USODA Optimist Parents Manual. He and Steve have contributed dozens of helpful articles for OPTINEWS over the years. When the Bahamas was beginning their Optimist program Tom traveled there at his own expense to give the first race coaching to a group of ten beginning Opti sailors. McLaughlin then sent him to Miami to coach those sailors at the Fall Harvest Regatta along with ten boats for their use no charge! This positive experience for the young sailors and families of the Bahamas sparked the beginning of the Bahamas Optimist Sailing Association. It wasn t long before they purchased a fleet of twenty McLaughlin Opti s with many more following. Today several hundred children throughout the islands are taught to sail in our boats. The employees of McLaughlin have a right to feel their support helped make that possible. These are just a few examples of how much we enjoy engineering, building, supplying, servicing and supporting the Optimist to the benefit of youth sailing programs all over the world. We hope to have the opportunity to serve your program. McLaughlin Boat Works 1 800 784 6478 Spencer Wiberley, Tom Coleman, Steve Sherman, David Sherman