LaserPerformance is thrilled to announce the addition of Thomas Galster as the company’s new Institutional Account Executive.
Thomas brings several years of sailing experience to the LaserPerformance team. A Rhode Island native, he grew up sailing at Saunderstown Yacht Club and was the captain at North Kingstown High School. He continued his sailing career at St. Mary’s College of Maryland and received a BA in Economics.
In his new role, Thomas will focus on the expansion of Institutional programs. He will support the success of annual event series including the LaserPerformance High School Invitational and the LaserPerformance Collegiate Cup (LPCC). These unique events organized by LaserPerformance offer the opportunity for high school and university aged sailors to experience a collegiate sailing environment in the z420s. Thomas’ enthusiasm and dedication will be an asset to the LaserPerformance team.
“I am excited to join the LaserPerformance team and look forward to supporting them reach the next level,” adds Galster. “LaserPerformance has built a superior platform for high school and college sailors to advance with the new z420. Growing the sport will be an exhilarating experience.”
For more news and event information please visit www.laserperformance.com
Shaina Vlaun
Social Media Associate
LaserPerformance Services
Skype: shaina.vlaun.1
laserperformance
The Z-420 Takes Off: A New Institutional Dinghy, and More
The 2014 College Nationals, just around the corner, will feature this year for the first time, the all-new LaserPerformance Z-420. This boat is a more modern and thoughtful upgrade from the club 420, adding new ideas to a boat originally designed in, gulp, 1959. Time will tell if this boat can meet the reliability and durability bars set by its predecessor, but most reports so far indicate the boat is far livelier and more responsive. It seems the development of this boat offers more than just a college dinghy; trapeze, spinnaker, mast ram, all point to a new one-design class.
In fact, since all college national championships must now be sailed in LaserPerformance boats, the institutional future seems “Z”, at least on the 420 side. Many top colleges have wasted no time, and already have in their boathouses, or have ordered, new z 420 fleets. See earlier article on this exclusive ICSA-LP agreement. To date, 134 Z-420’s have been built, with many more on order. Here’s the list:
- Wayzata Community Sailing Center
- Dartmouth
- Jacksonville
- Stanford
- St Mary’s College
- Tabor Academy
- Yale
- Navy
Schools with confirmed purchase orders:
- Roger Williams,
- Boston College
- Brown
- USF
- LPEU
- Washington College
From the manufacturer:
The z420 has been designed to insure the future success of collegiate sailing through the collaborative efforts of many college coaches as well as sailing industry designers, experts and racers.
The results are distinctly evident when you sail the z420. The team was able to reduce nearly 50 lbs from the weight of the existing c420 scv and still make the hull 40% stiffer– so the levels of performance have completely jumped off the charts.
