32 Laser

The first wide-beam cruiser Chaparral ever built (all of their previous models had been trailerable), the Laser 32 is a high-performance midcabin express whose high-freeboard sportboat profile concealed a surprisingly spacious interior. (Note the absence of a bow pulpit—a design touch growing in popularity in the late-1980s.) Heavily constructed on a fully cored hull with a modest 12 degrees of transom deadrise, the Laser is quick to accelerate but a hard ride in a chop. The interior is arranged with double berths fore and aft (each sleeping area has a privacy curtain) and a well-appointed salon with a convertible dinette and facing settee. The galley is compact and so is the midcabin, but the head is big and there’s seating for six in the salon. Topside, an L-shaped lounge is across from the helm and additional guest seating is provided at the transom. Additional features included two overhead deck hatches, a wraparound windshield (rare in a 1980s boat), and a cockpit wet bar. A fast ride, twin 260hp sterndrives cruise the Laser 32 in the high 20s and reach a top speed in excess of 40 knots.