The new Laser b**tard

Originally posted by BVS Originally posted by jeffers Originally posted by Rupert Glad this thread has surfaced again.I was trying to rig Lasers at SailLaser in Weymouth last weekend - what a faff! Putting the mast in was fine, but why on earth can't the controls just be ready to hook on? Makes no sense at all.I've not read the class rules - does it HAVE to be like that, or can you set things up in different ways, so long as you have the right no of purchases? there are a few things you can do but you are not allowed to hook the cunningham to the clew.  In reality I can go from packed away to ready to sail in less then 10 minutes with mine as I have rigged it for speed of rigging (and making sure everything works of course). Why would you want to hook the Cunningham to the clew?

The cunningham on a Laser has to be a piece of rope passing through the cunningham hole, rather than hooking onto it, like most sensible simple boats have.

And you're not allowed to have a loop in the Cunningham line to attach to hook on the kicker assembly thus making it quicker and easier for your kids to rig. Just think of the performance advantage you'd get out of that!!! N

Nope. Where the Cunningham line (with a block on one end, the othe end being fed through the eye in the sail) attaches to the kicker assembly, it has to be attached using the pin and split pin, not a hook attached to the pin and split pin. I know this because an over heavy-handed class measurer had my kids in tears at their first 4.7 nationals, refusing to let them launch because they had an illegal boat.

Originally posted by sandgrounder

Nice solution that (I didn't think of that one).

As for the measurer, there are ways to deal with nervous 11 year olds, and clasping them back firmly by the shoulder and saying "You can't race - that's an illegal boat" is not the best. Additionally, looking at boats as they're launching is not helpful either - later in the year at the Inlands a different chap came round whilst all were ashore with a tremendously positive attitude, finding issues and educating both sailors and parents as to what could and couldn't be done. Same outcome, but felt so, so different.