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New Laser Rig from Doyle?
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Sam.Spoons View Drop Down
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Posts: 3401 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Sam.Spoons Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: New Laser Rig from Doyle?
    Posted: 08 Nov 18 at 3:14pm
The raked rudder serves to emphasise weather helm (usually heel induced). A vertical rudder would feel much nicer but would takes me acclimatisation as it might give less incentive to sail the boat flat in a breeze.

Edited by Sam.Spoons - 08 Nov 18 at 3:14pm
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Posts: 3011 		Post Options Post Options   Quote RS400atC Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Nov 18 at 3:30pm
Originally posted by turnturtle

Originally posted by zeon

A better/bigger rudder blade ...

The current one, changed so it can go square to the hull would be dramatic improvement....

I’ve always wondered the fascination with tinkering with the Laser rig over the years.... to be me, it’s the rudder which gives me the shudders more than any other aspect of the boat’s heritage.

Changing the sail is excusable because sails are the only real wearing part with a very short life.
I'd imagine that a change of sail might get voted through the CA, with sufficient notice period.
Or it could be done as a 'sub class' a bit like the Radial.

When you look at the rest of the boat, backward compatibility is the killer issue.
I can't think of a single part of it which is controlled by the class rules which you'd keep, given a free hand. Either you live with all the legacy junk or you sail something else.

My hope with the Rooster is that it will keep me more in touch with the faster boats in the fleet around the course, in light to medium breeze. More tactical on the water. For a low budget second boat it looked like a value option, with the standard rig for a windy series.
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Posts: 3401 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Sam.Spoons Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Nov 18 at 4:52pm
Approving certain modifications would make the Laser a much nicer boat to sail even if all the components remained the same. as has been said, allowing the leading edge of the rudder blade to be vertical for one, free fixings for the toestraps so short-ar5es like me can actually sit the damn thing out and some extra flexibility in control lines and fittings would all help, cost little to nothing and could be applied to old boats as well as new.

WRT the rig, the sail wears out fairly quickly but so do the ally mast sections, they all need replacing pretty frequently to keep a boat competitive (and, in fact, once the mast/boom becomes permanently bent it is illegal anyway). A properly designed new rig would, presumably, last much longer as well as being much nicer to use.


Edited by Sam.Spoons - 08 Nov 18 at 4:53pm
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Posts: 2538 		Post Options Post Options   Quote turnturtle Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Nov 18 at 5:09pm
Originally posted by RS400atC

Originally posted by turnturtle

Originally posted by zeon

A better/bigger rudder blade ...

The current one, changed so it can go square to the hull would be dramatic improvement....

I’ve always wondered the fascination with tinkering with the Laser rig over the years.... to be me, it’s the rudder which gives me the shudders more than any other aspect of the boat’s heritage.

Changing the sail is excusable because sails are the only real wearing part with a very short life.
I'd imagine that a change of sail might get voted through the CA, with sufficient notice period.
Or it could be done as a 'sub class' a bit like the Radial.

When you look at the rest of the boat, backward compatibility is the killer issue.
I can't think of a single part of it which is controlled by the class rules which you'd keep, given a free hand. Either you live with all the legacy junk or you sail something else.

My hope with the Rooster is that it will keep me more in touch with the faster boats in the fleet around the course, in light to medium breeze. More tactical on the water. For a low budget second boat it looked like a value option, with the standard rig for a windy series.

I’ll probably get shouted down in flames, but I actually genuinely enjoyed the Rooster 8,1 rig when I used in some light wind Wednesday night races a few years ago.  I could easily see how putting one on a half decent laser (rather the £500 sh*tbox I ended up giving away), would make a reasonable club racing craft for a fraction of the cost an xERO or whatever else you’d end up sailing around on your tod.
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Posts: 8956 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Rupert Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Nov 18 at 5:32pm
TT, why shouldn't you enjoy it? It's a boat!
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Posts: 3420 		Post Options Post Options   Quote 423zero Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Nov 18 at 6:14pm
Laser class will not do another mast mod for years, 'so' sail designers need to design sail for existing mast, Sail that doesn't need eye watering kicker and downhaul would be a major step up, this would mean sail and mast would last longer, Sail that would work with a stiff upper mast and weaker bottom.
Hiking straps that could adjust using existing fixing points, not to difficult a tablet to swallow.
Rudder this is another easy fix.
Corners for me are biggest issue.
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Guests Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Nov 18 at 6:35pm
There are boats that fix all these issues, but then it’s no longer a Laser...
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By The Lee View Drop Down
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Posts: 114 		Post Options Post Options   Quote By The Lee Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Nov 18 at 6:47pm
Most of these issues being described come from the boat not being setup/sailed correctly not the boat itself.
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Sam.Spoons View Drop Down
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Posts: 3401 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Sam.Spoons Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Nov 18 at 7:20pm
Originally posted by 423zero

Laser class will not do another mast mod for years, 'so' sail designers need to design sail for existing mast, Sail that doesn't need eye watering kicker and downhaul would be a major step up, this would mean sail and mast would last longer, Sail that would work with a stiff upper mast and weaker bottom.
Hiking straps that could adjust using existing fixing points, not to difficult a tablet to swallow.
Rudder this is another easy fix.
Corners for me are biggest issue.


It doesn't need to be Laser, a third party can make a new rig like Rooster make the 8.1 (sure they might get a bit of flack from LP but Rooster seem to have coped ok). I'm not a sailmaker but I can't see how you could design a sail that would open the leech in response to gusts using that mast. 

Hiking straps are already adjustable, and on the water, using the standard fixings but they need to be closer to the sides (so double straps) for short people so different fixings are essential.

As you say rudders an easy fit but corners would require major surgery so probably a none starter, allowing a centre mainsheet would be an easier solution (and a stiffer boom).
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Posts: 3011 		Post Options Post Options   Quote RS400atC Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Nov 18 at 8:09pm
Originally posted by Peaky

There are boats that fix all these issues, but then it’s no longer a Laser...


Indeed.
You could fix all the superficial design flaws of the Laser, but that would only leave you with another layer of design 'features' which come from its legacy.
There are other classes you can buy into. For a lot more money.
And which of them is perfect?
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