Laser Vago XD Rig
Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: Dinghy classes
Forum Name: Dinghy development
Forum Discription: The latest moves in the dinghy market
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1889
Printed Date: 15 Aug 25 at 7:02pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.665y - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Laser Vago XD Rig
Posted By: vago_ballast
Subject: Laser Vago XD Rig
Date Posted: 16 Jun 06 at 8:46pm
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I have just spent 3 days crewing in a Vago and the helm and I had a real problem on the XD rig of getting the full battens at the sail head to pop through in the (incredibly) light winds. We have adjusted the batten tension, cunningham and gnav tensions but it took an huge amount of effort to get the sail shaped on the right side. Has anyone had this problem and does anyone have any suggestions to overcome it. Thanks in advance of your help |
Replies:
Posted By: Isis
Date Posted: 16 Jun 06 at 8:53pm
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Not enough mast bend may be a problem... Its not something you want to be changing just to pop the battens though really. If you cant get them to pop even after loosening the batten tension its probibly more of a technique problem I suspect.... You often need a sharp flick as you come up after the tack to get them to pop which is something beter shown than explained. ------------- |
Posted By: combat wombat
Date Posted: 16 Jun 06 at 8:56pm
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On my B14, in light winds it is a case of a bit of kicker, (crew in front of mast in these winds), crew rolls the boat hard through the tack, then helm crosses boat, eases mainsheet, grabs the mainsheet from the block and falls heavily onto the windward wing. This sheets in the main and jerks the boat upright, and the battens pop. We have a light winds mainsail which we have eased off the top batten, it pays to have some outhaul on as well. Obviously you don't have wings but the key is sitting down hard as you sheet in, with the crew ready to stop the boat going over to windward. Be brutal, it may shake the wind out the sails but thats faster than attempting to sail with the battens inverted! CW ------------- B14 GBR 772 |
Posted By: olly_love
Date Posted: 16 Jun 06 at 10:00pm
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talking about mast bend. i cannot understand on that boat how it has a untapered mast. does it not need it cause it has a fat head mainsail. was out the otherday in bout 15 knots and it seemed really fast however when we speed checked it was wuite slow. has a massive problem with the bow going high. no mattetr where u sit not a race boat like laser said more a training boat ------------- TWO FRANK-Hunter Impala |
Posted By: m_liddell
Date Posted: 16 Jun 06 at 11:24pm
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Cost I'm sure. |
Posted By: olly_love
Date Posted: 16 Jun 06 at 11:31pm
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must be. cause it is a large section looks built to last. but the quiality of the rest of th efittings is up to laser quality...... crap
------------- TWO FRANK-Hunter Impala |
Posted By: Isis
Date Posted: 16 Jun 06 at 11:35pm
 etc etc
------------- |
Posted By: gonzo
Date Posted: 17 Jun 06 at 6:11am
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still plastic never going to get a high perfromance plastic boat are you Supposed to be a more high performance than a feva type of boat for clubs that are trying to promote high performance dinghys. ------------- Go Big or Go home or sail a 49er!!! |
Posted By: vago_ballast
Date Posted: 18 Jun 06 at 7:15am
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Thanks for all your suggestions. We'll give them all a try next time we're out
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Posted By: Lucy Lee
Date Posted: 18 Jun 06 at 7:00pm
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As a crew I find that giving the cunningham a sharp tug when the helm is trying to pop the battens often helps. Just have to remember to have it cleated on the 'old' side before the tack/gybe and not to cleat it in too hard after the manoeuver...
------------- Fly Cherub! |
Posted By: Wave Rider
Date Posted: 18 Jun 06 at 9:43pm
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Whilst crewing a Cherub which was new to the helm he had to experiment with many different things to make the battens pop. 1. As said above, do sheet in and sit down heavily so, hopefully, the added air pressure on the sails pushes the battens through and you don't want to loosten the battens too much otherwsie this 'flicking' will have very little affect. 2. If you can't flick them in light air by changing the sail controls (kicker tensioning the leech often helps) then you have to result to make bend im afraid. For the battens to flick the mast bend must match the sail curvature... im afraid i can't picture the Vago XD rig shape... So bend the mast quite a bit with the shrouds and forestay, to make this easier on one shroud push the boom, with the sail on, hard over to one shroud so the 'windward' (this is on land...ok) shroud is much slacker, then do this with the other and you should then induce quite a lot of pre-bend. Hopefully this will help it in light airs, if you need more bend (god its a badly cut sail) then you will have to use the sail controls. Only problem is now, although your battens may be popping, you are going to have one VERY flat sail and nicely depowered so erm... im not sure what your light air performance will be like! ps. not sure if it matters on an alu mast, but as a general rule, leaving loads of tenntion on forever isn't a great idea unless you want a very banana shaped mast. Hope thats vaguely helpful, although i imagine it's mainly technique! ------------- -[Franko]- Chew Valley Lake Sailing Club RS600 933 |
Posted By: Isis
Date Posted: 18 Jun 06 at 9:56pm
My bets on the boat bananaing first. ------------- |
Posted By: Sumo
Date Posted: 19 Jun 06 at 1:56pm
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The trick, as demonstrated at the Vago open at Queen Mary yesterday, is a roll tack with a pump at the end. If that dosen't work then sheeting out followed by a strong pull down and across with the boom usually does the trick. In lighter winds the batten tension should be loosened. In respect of the rig, the Vago is designed with a low tension rig. In respect of sailing the Vago it must be sailed flat and if the nose is out of the water then you haven't got enough weight forward! |