Lasers

Alright, fair calls CT and mac. I must admit that I have never has so much fun on lasers as I did on the simulator last weekend, and having Frank B. there has improved my starting technique more than anything else. Also, last time I went lasering, I was a good 10kegs lighter, and 2 inches shorter, and as such the deck was a bit mis-matched to my size. So, if you eliminate my whinging about the decks and the general hull shape (Bruce did do a good job with it... reaching on a laser is a bit more like being on a windsurfer than a skiff, but that's not a problem at all... it's just different), there really isn't a lot that I can complain about. I'm still not convinced that they are the be-all-and-end-all of OD singlehanders.

CT,
"Yes, but spiral sails weren't very OD" - w.r.t to the sails, the only major difference is who makes the sails, and they tend to go through 5 year cycles, namely when someone makes a killer main, the whole fleet tends to get them. This has happened several times, with the latest trend being Rob Brewer/Quantum (they're very similar in cut), and the previous being marc sier (who has since gone out of business).

Everything else on spirals are OD, and use the exact same rigging as a laser. There are also very tight tollerances w.r.t. making your own foils, which is something that you can't do with a laser... so instead you wind up spending more money on dodgy blades.

So, (all whining aside) if I were to improve the Laser, I would honestly consider replacing the mast with a 2 piece carbon rig with a OD mylar main (similar to what the bytes have done with the C2), but with a pocket-luff, full battened main (similar to that of a moth's rig). The automatic rig would allow the boat to be sailed by a wider range of people, and at least then the main and mast wouldn't wear out or break as quickly, and rig weight would be reduced (it isn't a nice thing to lift a rigged standard laser rig out of the boat after a hard day's sailing). And, some time in the future, it would be sweet if the decks were redesigned to be more ergonomically sound. I know that's not going to happen, but it would make the boats far more agreeable to far more people if they were more similar to a tasar deck, with the "three-plane" profile (yes, I've been in contact with Frank Bethwaite recently, who is also an advocate of that style of deck).

There are two great constants: taxes, and the laser design! mac's right, the only thing less likely than the laser getting redesigned is a snowstorm in hell. So, really, this thread is a fit of a charade.

 

Sure, they are not the be-all-etc of OD singlehanders for Australian conditions apart from the fact that we have so many of them. I had a go of Ian Bruce's development Byte CII, but since I haven't sailed the standard Byte I had no basis to compare it. It didn't make a massive speed diffrence AFAIK.

I've been trying to find more info (with much respect to Ian etc, from an independent source) about the way it compares to the standard. I have a feeling that the lift/drag/heeling moment etc of a "skiff type" rig means that it doesn't have the same dramatic effect in a Laser/Byte/FD type that it does on a skiff or Moth type. Ian Bruce is selling association members a whole new CII rig for the price of a new old-style sail which is a great move.

The Byte has a Tasar style deck but I can't remember whether it felt better. I love the Tasar deck to bits (when my back goes a sail on the Tasar actually clicks it back into place) but "cube" level Laser sailors hike with such straight legs it may not make much of a difference if the Laser deck was modified (I don't straight leg my Tasar much because it's a 77 model that needs work and the cockpit side "pops" when I straight-leg so again it's hard to compare).

Bruce Kirby says the Laser rudder should be 10% bigger and elliptical, otherwise he wouldn't change anything. Ian Bruce told me that Bruce Kirby wanted more rake on the Laser rudder but Ian put it more upright. I often wonder whether you couldn't just move the pivot pin to eliminate some of the feeling of weather helm you get even when sailing a Laser well.

In the long term a redesign COULD maybe happen, but only if the old boats remained competitive with upgrading.

What the singlehanded world REALLY needs is more International Canoes and a return of the Scow Moth!

 

Ive never had so much fun sailing as on my laser, just this last weekend we had a series of t-storms roll through one after another. I and another gentleman in a laser 2 would beat up to one end of the lake and wait for the storms, like surfers wait for waves then we would ride them back across the lake like madmen. The laser 2 had a problem staying upright so I would turn back to see if he was OK which he invariably was except for his pride, but the ride was amazing, on broad reach the boat was skipping like a stone chunked hard across a pond. If I could change something about that day I would make the boat bigger so I could share that experience with someone else. If I could change something about the boat in general I would make it even less expensive so that more people would get hooked on sailing. I bought my laser, on a lark, from a newspaper ad for $600. That was 5 years ago I now own 4 sailboats , one of which I built myself .To date, the laser is still the most fun. I think the true beauty of the laser is its affordability, the ease (both financially and technically) with which a complete novice (like myself) can get underway combined with the support and broad appeal of the design make the laser a near perfect intro boat. Sure there are ways to make the boat faster in one situation or another, but like was said before the boat is the field upon which you play if everyone you compete against is on the same field then the results are up to you.With the laser the the field is as truly level as possible. No change is neccessary or desirable, everyone is dealing with the same design strengths and weaknesses , the diiference lies in the sailor as it should.If you were to change anything that would tilt the field ,as is usually the case, in favour of the F---ers with money.

 

I think the rudder is the one area that would make the boat more pleasant to sail, particularly downwind. I have broken a laser rudder bolt during a race and had the rudder drop down to a more vertical angle. The boat was a pleasure to sail upwind in that configuration, at least until the rudder blade dropped out entirely.

More rudder area downwind and during gybes would be nice, however the boathandling issues of an undersized rudder help sort the men from the boys in windy races, so maybe a better rudder would also make for less challenging racing.

 

Andrew Mason

Dear Andrew Mason I Was Wondering If You Used To Own A Boat Called ''lee"

 

I've had several lasers with a variety of bad names, but not that one.

Andrew

 

I think Andrew goes back long enough to remember the classic "bad name phase" in Australian Lasering. Top honours IMHO must to to Warwick Phillips (IIRC) with "If Mark Phillips is winning cubes it's time for a comeback" and Freddy's own dig at his arch rival with "Tim A*******r Likes Little Boys". The fleet doesn't seem as sociable and humourous these days.

(I hasten to add that Tim is NOT dubious that way for the benefit of TA and readers).

 

I'd change the price structure (retroactively) so $1 dollar from each boat is placed in my bank account. (Ten dollars seemed too ambitious and the accounting is so easy with a dollar and I'm not particularly greedy). This is probably the only boat ever built where this would be worthwhile.

 

In those days boat names were changed for each major regatta, with the result that I've owned 3 lasers but had about 20 names, several of which Freddy suggested. Mine included "Tequila Mockingbird", "101 Damnations" (for a particularly windy series), "Nulla bores me to tears" (after a long trip from Perth), however Freddy's boat names have always been good - "Bananadrama" for the Brisbane nationals, "Kiss my aft" and the championship winning "Shake it don't break it wrap it up and I'll take it"


At one stage Freddy and I were going to campaign a 505 together just so we could name it "McGarrett, Five-Oh, book him Danno, murder one" (For those of you too young to remember the TV show Hawaii 5-0, my apologies)

 

Andrew,

My best Laser was named "Yellow Snow". A long story, but it was either a new boat or skiing for a couple of weeks. Boat won.