The International Laser Class sailboat, is a popular one-design class of small sailing dinghy. According to the Laser Class Rules the boat may be sailed by either one or two people, although it is rarely sailed by two. The design (by Bruce Kirby) emphasizes simplicity & performance. The dinghy is now manufactured by boat manufacturers worldwide.
The Laser is one of the most popular single-handed dinghies in the world. By 2007, the number of boats produced exceeded 190,000. The laser is robust and simple to rig and sail.
"Laser" is mainly used to refer to the Laser Standard (the second largest of the sail plan rigs available for the Laser hull), but this can be very confusing as there are a series of other "Laser"-branded boats using different hulls. Examples include the Laser II and Laser Pico.  These may be called Laser 2, and a Pico.