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Radial - a handicap bandit in light wind?
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womble12345 View Drop Down
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Posts: 99 		Post Options Post Options   Quote womble12345 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Radial - a handicap bandit in light wind?
    Posted: 04 Jun 09 at 11:07am

I race a Laser on a small lake with trees round the outside on Wednesday evenings in a handicap race, I have full and radial rigs, I weigh 70kg so generally only use the radial when it is blowing at least 15mph. Last night I was using the full rig and the wind varied between 2mph and about 8mph, in the light bits with the full rig it occurred to me that I could drift at a similar speed using the radial.

Assuming my motivation around racing was to win on handicap rather than enjoy a good close race with the other full rigs that would be in the race should I use the radial in very light (less than 5mph) winds? Generally very light winds favour the slower boats so would I be better off using the radial in light winds? Is the radial more of a lightwind handicap bandit than the full rig?

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Adam MR 1137 View Drop Down
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Posts: 114 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Adam MR 1137 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Jun 09 at 11:37am

My other half has a radial rig, which she uses all the time, she is not big enough for a full rig in all but the lightest of breezes.

She finds that on the river or small lakes, with shifty winds and high banks and tree interference that the rig is just too short to be able to compete on handicap very easily.
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Posts: 0 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Guest Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Jun 09 at 12:08pm

I doubt a Laser of any flavour could be considered a bandit.

Race the sail which gives the most fun; sounds like you should try and win with the big rig.
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Quagers View Drop Down
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Posts: 279 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Quagers Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Jun 09 at 12:43pm
Wind generally increases higher up, the standard rig is higher so can access this slightly greatly wind.
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Guests Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Jun 09 at 1:28pm

If winning on handicap were your main concern, I'd suggest you get a whole range of boats so you can tailor your py fulfilling capability to the wind strength and course set. 
I think anyones main aim should be to always better their own performance rather than to worry what number appears next to their name on the results sheet. 

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jeffers View Drop Down
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Posts: 3048 		Post Options Post Options   Quote jeffers Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Jun 09 at 1:42pm
Originally posted by Guest#260

I doubt a Laser of any flavour could be considered a bandit.

Race the sail which gives the most fun; sounds like you should try and win with the big rig.

Try an 8.1 in less than 5 kts on a small lake

Paul
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womble12345 View Drop Down
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Posts: 99 		Post Options Post Options   Quote womble12345 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Jun 09 at 1:56pm

If my primary concern was winning on handicap on the lake I would not be sailing a Laser thats for sure!! There are some obvious bandit classes that would suit much better, it is only because I have the choice of rigs that I was thinking about it. I may well try the radial at some stage just to see as there may be better clear wind 1 minute behind the front laser pack rather than right in it.

An 8.1 would certainly suit but I dont have one!
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jeffers View Drop Down
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Posts: 3048 		Post Options Post Options   Quote jeffers Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Jun 09 at 2:10pm
My experience of the Laser vs the Radial is that until the Standard rigs are struggling then the readial really does not stand much chance. Once the wind is hinking a radial is wickedly fast, a 4.7 even more so if the wind is a constant F6+.
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Posts: 222 		Post Options Post Options   Quote A Seabadger Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Jun 09 at 2:32pm
"My experience of the Laser vs the Radial is that until the Standard rigs are struggling then the readial really does not stand much chance. Once the wind is hinking a radial is wickedly fast, a 4.7 even more so if the wind is a constant F6+."

I agree entirely.
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Roy Race View Drop Down
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Posts: 275 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Roy Race Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Jun 09 at 3:23pm
I don't know about "less than 5 knots". There's a big
difference between 5 knots and say 1 or 2 knots. In 5
knots, you're sailing and I'd stick to the full rig.

In 1 or 2 knots, I'd agree that there's a very good case
for using the radial rig if doing well on handicap is
your main concern. I think you answered your own
question in the first post.

I don't think any Laser could ever be called a handicap
"bandit" though. Perhaps you could say that in 1 knot of
wind on a shifty pond, a radial's handicap is less awful
than a full rig's handicap.




Edited by Roy Race
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