Would I be bored in a Laser ?

Do Laser follow threads on here? I know if we had been talking about an RS product we would have had an answer by now!

Originally posted by kensail I would still like to hear what Laser's view is i.e. if a newish boat broke using the Rooster Rig would the guarantee be rescinded?

I'm pretty sure that you would invalidate Laser's warranty, however, (by the very fact that you were using the boat with non-Laser parts) that might also be the case if you were also using an aftermarket standard sized sail too. If Noble are still quite happy to offer a 'new-for-old' on hulls as part of their Laser policies, that must say something about their experience with the bigger rig,

Nigel

Originally posted by kensail Not beeing a Laser Buff, I wonder if the hull will stand up to it? Laser may like to comment. Also what about Insurers, what would the the view be from their angle? Quite interested to see comments.

I wondered the very same thing, however to my knowledge there have been no reports of breakages. I did contact Rooster to ask if there was any particular vintage of Laser to avoid if you were thinking of fitting an 8.1 rig - they said that age wasn't important just avoid any soft hulls (good advice for buying any Laser !). I told Noble Marine that I intended to use both a standard rig and an 8.1 and they didn't make an issue of it. The Laser hull has approval to be used with two people on board......a hull with a standard rig carrying two people might well have to resist more leverage that one sailed by a lardy bloke with an 8.1 rig ?

Nigel

Originally posted by pondscum I guess Rooster have sold about 140 8.1's this year then based on your sail number. Not bad.

Sounds about right I got 227 in February so perhaps more although I do know that a lot of rigs have gone to the states and to places like Sunsail and the like. Our colonial cousins are also starting to take an interest as well. The only issue they have is that they cannot source the correct tube for the lower mast so they are having to use the mast extenders that Rooster have done. People are starting to rave about them then. The only issue over there is that they do not have anything like as healthy a dinghy scene as we do over here....

Originally posted by pondscum Sailing the standard rig in a bit of wind at the weekend, I found myself dealing with the gusts/headers/lulls so much easier. Then I look at leech stretching, flapping and ragging and realised what a rubbish sail the standard rig is...

Because the Laser mast is just two bits of alu it does not bend in the same way that a tapered carbon must does in response to the gusts.

As a result the sail is cut so the leach is flexible.

If the Leach did not respond in the gusts the boat would be MUCH harder to sail!