A long time in development, the new Laser EPS is now selling in volume. Laser promised high performance in an easy-to-sail package, and it's delivered.

Initial impressions on jumping aboard were of a stable hull shape, even at rest and a bigger, more secure-feeling boat than I had expected. The wings are higher above the hull than they look and the space in-between really does form something of a cockpit. Heeled, the wings also provide some reserve buoyancy, offering plenty of stability at large angles of heel.

Above you, a fully-battened sail, and below a hull that sails and feels more like a modern skiff than a traditional singlehander. The ability to let the rig out square and beyond is classic Laser style. A sound mix of ancient and modern that seems to draw from the best of both worlds.

Steering is light and precise and even working through the short sharp chop, there is never any risk of losing control. Like any high-performance boat, maximum dynamic input from the helmsman will reap rewards in the form of speed, but with her wide wings and forgiving hull form, the EPS is also easy to sail at less than 100 percent. Pushing down hard in steep waves, it pays to get well back and the wings remain comfortably-shaped even when one sits on the back of them rather than the side.

Pushed hard and without sufficient respect for the need to get the weight back, it's perfectly possible to put the bow under, but much to my surprise even this didn't prove a disaster. The boat simply slows, the cockpit fills with water and once sufficient speed has been shed, the bow pops up and off you go again. Full of water, steering remains positive and the two big drain tubes in the transom clear the water very quickly.

Though hiking will never be described as a truly comfortable activity, the sculptured wings on the EPS do go a long way towards making it bearable. The toe straps are adjustable both for length and position, and it should be possible to get a setting to suit all the likely crew sizes that will sail the boat. Moving around the boat is easy, with the upside-down vang taking the place of a conventional kicker above the boom. Though we never had light enough winds to put it to the test, it should be possible to tack or gybe forward of the main sheet in light airs. The molded non-slip surface is excellent if a tiny bit on the aggressive side while the lack of fittings leaves nothing on deck to trip over. Such control lines as there are even have fly-away systems to keep the decks clear.

The EPS puts its fine entry and 4.3-meter overall length to good effect to provide a very satisfying ride to windward. Especially in a chop, the secret seemed to be to keep the EPS moving fast and let the pointing look after itself. Gust response from the all-carbon rig is excellent and it is perfectly possible to sail the boat like a Europe or Finn with the sheet cleated and the rig looking after itself. Though not strictly necessary from a performance point of view, the soft Dacron panel in the front of the sail makes steering very much easier than it might be with an all-Mylar sail.

Tacking proves to be the boat's one weak spot in a short chop. Given plenty of speed and a positive approach with plenty of rudder, things work out just fine. Don't be timid, though, as the speed comes off very quickly and one badly-timed wave will see you firmly in irons.

Upwind, mighty hiking and dynamic body action will undoubtedly yield best results but the EPS's substantial beam and sympathetic rig provide the less acrobatic sailor with a boat that is easily sailed to windward. Whichever route you choose, the steering is a joy with just enough feel to make the tiller come to life, yet never enough weight to require more than just fingertip control.

Capsizing shouldn't be any problem. Though the wide wings do conspire to turn the EPS upside down in short order and make it quite stable in this configuration, they also provide plenty of leverage for getting it back up again. The boat floats low enough to allow one to climb onto the centerboard easily enough.

Among the most interesting aspects of the EPS is its rig. Essentially unstayed, the mast heel sits directly on the deck with a single set of shrouds providing support. Rather than fixing rigidly to the mast, the shrouds connect to an outer ring which in turn supports the mast via a ball-bearing collar allowing the mast and boom to rotate together. Rig tension comes via a simple tackle in the forestay, while rake can be controlled using conventional pin-hole adjusters.

The mast itself is made in two parts which simply slot together. Both pieces are high-tech carbon. The lower section is a parallel pultrusion and the upper one a tapered tube. Both sections are nicely finished with an adhesive-fixed plastic track. The sails from Hyde are as previously mentioned made largely from a Mylar laminate. Four full-length battens and two shorter intermediate ones ensure excellent stability, longevity should not be a problem.

Rigging proves slightly more complicated than with a conventional unstayed rig, with the two shrouds and forestay to attach. In practice it seems easiest for one person to hold the mast while another attaches the shrouds, though the mast is light enough so that with practice one person ought to be able to accomplish the job single-handed. The sail hoists on a simple halyard, with a cleat at the top of the mast to secure it.

Hull construction follows standard Laser practice with a carbon reinforced, fiberglass and polyester laminate over a foam core. Given the complexities of the structure, with two wings and their associated tracks, Laser has done well to keep the hull weight down. The two boats I looked at during an admittedly short test both looked well-finished and carefully fitted-out. Foils are the Laser molded foam, and though they certainly both hummed a bit during our test they felt strong if slightly heavy.

Like most of the latest generation Laser boats, the EPS has been designed to allow weight equalization between helms of different weights. In the EPS both the width of the wings and the size of the rig can be changed. The attractions of the weight-equalization system have been proven in the double-handed Lasers and there is no reason why it should not work with a singlehander.