Choosing a boat: boat for blasting.... laser5000 ?

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boat for blasting.... laser5000 ?

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Category: General
Forum Name: Choosing a boat
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Topic: boat for blasting.... laser5000 ?

Posted By: Fin.
Subject: boat for blasting.... laser5000 ?
Date Posted: 12 Feb 07 at 4:31pm

Hi all,

I've been toying witht the idea of buying a laser5000. (Okay they're 'old' now but I thought they'd possibly be fun ?!).

Mainly for just messing around. but I have some questions ...

Has anyone had much experience sailing them ?

How well behaved are they ?

How hard are they to re-right ?

how would they compare to say an RS400 ?

what's the strongest wind strength can they be taken out in /

Any thoughts opinions - please respond.

Replies:

Posted By: CurlyBen
Date Posted: 12 Feb 07 at 6:20pm

I bought one about a year ago, for various reasons (mainly being abroad) I've only recently started sailing it much. I love it! For far less than most comparable boats I've got a really good boat with lots of spares (including a full brand new suit of sails). It's hard work but great fun, a good crew helps loads. The kite goes into a bag (and is very big!) which makes things a bit more interesting, we've not quite got the hang of keeping it out of the water yet. I've found that the weight of the thing helps in terms of stability, and it handles waves better than the 800 in my experience. They can be tricky to right as the mast fills with water and weighs a lot on its own, it takes us minutes not seconds at the moment (about 25 stone jumping on the end of the board). I'm planning to get a mast head float for mine, to at least slow inversion. I wouldn't really pick the 400 as a boat to compare the 5000 to - the 800 is the obvious RS comparison. Relatively the 5000 is a similar speed but much heavier (and cheaper). The 800's a great boat too; the crew can be much less experienced (the 800 has a self tacking jib and the kite drops to a chute). The fully battened main of the 5000 makes things a bit more entertaining, especially in a blow, but helps in the light stuff. The sheet loads are pretty high though. Overall I reckon it's a great boat, if money were no object I'd probably prefer a 49er (it's lighter to drag up the compound if nothing else), but it is and I'm happy with the 5k.

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RS800 GBR848
Weston SC

Posted By: olly_love
Date Posted: 12 Feb 07 at 7:27pm

they are amazing i am looking to change my 14 for one. just make sure that u get one with some spare sails as there arntmany round.

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TWO FRANK-Hunter Impala

Posted By: owain
Date Posted: 12 Feb 07 at 7:34pm

Two of my mates just bought a pair of Boss's. In terms of the kit included, the Boss has a shute, a carbon rig ect and is much lighter (not sure what theyre like in terms of maintenance). In dinghy sailer magazine about 2 months ago was a comparison review between the two. What about a penultimate i14? hope this helps

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Owain H
49er GBR055
Fireball 14291
Plymouth Uni Sailing Club & Chelmarsh Sailing Club

Posted By: olly_love
Date Posted: 12 Feb 07 at 7:52pm

i may be selling my 14 soon

is a good one with shed loads of spare gear

and the boss seems a bit sh*te.

get a 5 tonner it is an amazing boat and good fun to sail

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TWO FRANK-Hunter Impala

Posted By: Jon Emmett
Date Posted: 12 Feb 07 at 8:17pm

I agree...I would definitely go for a 5000 over a Boss.

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http://www.amazon.co.uk/Be-Your-Own-Tactics-Coach/dp/0470973218/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1312565831&sr=8-1 -

Posted By: andymck
Date Posted: 12 Feb 07 at 8:42pm

I would go for the 5 tonner, only sold mine last year, due to marriage and crew moving miles away. Was a fantastic boat in a real blow, and very quick on handicap in the light suff, as has some rocker. Never found the Boss to be much of a problem speed wise, even after they spent a load modernising them.

Things to look for:

Sails, mains last forever, jibs need to be replaced yearly for racing, kites a little less often.

Rig, Check the spreader brackets, two types, the modified one was a one piece bracket that was indestructable, the original one can crack at the base of the shrouds.

Hull: pretty bullet proof, but the areas to check are the dagger board case, can crack at the back lower edge if grounded. Hull under the back of the pole, can go soft after repeated standing on it, when fully retracted, and the gunwhales around the shroud plates for softness. All these are easily and cheaply fixed, as boat builder does not need to worry too much about weight.

Go for it, they are cracking.

Andy McK

Sol 416, ent and 18

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Andy Mck

Posted By: CurlyBen
Date Posted: 12 Feb 07 at 8:48pm

Forgot to mention, last time we took it out in a blow we had a couple of problems but that was us not the boat!
Olly do you sail at Weston?

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RS800 GBR848
Weston SC

Posted By: les5269
Date Posted: 12 Feb 07 at 9:39pm

I owned one for 8 years, it's a fantastic boat I had great fun sailing it. We now have a 49er but my helm has kept his so we can still play in it (we both had one)

Most boats are now sold with loads of kit so that wont be a problem, but things to look out for are ;

check under the rear of the pole wether the deck is soft(it's where the crew treads on it) it's not difficult to repair but a bit of a pain. make sure the rest for the pole at the bow is correctly screwed down. If it breaks you have to put a hatch in to refix it. Another thing is the slot for the centreboard underneath, the board will cut a slot in it because of the angle you put it in at.

Otherwise the hulls are pretty good, masts don't tend to break often so no worries there either.

All I would say is get one and have fun ! f you don't like it you wont lose money on it, will you ? at a grand!!

BTW you can still buy sails but they are as expensive as they have always been. And we now have 6 at Grafham again!

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49er 531 & 5000 5025 and a mirror(now gone to mirror heaven)!

http://www.grafham.org/" rel="nofollow - Grafham water Sailing Club The greatest inland sailing in the country

Posted By: olly_love
Date Posted: 13 Feb 07 at 8:52am

yea i do sail at weston. am the older blue hulled 14. which 5000 is urs. if u eva need a crew give me a call i used to sail a 5 tonner

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TWO FRANK-Hunter Impala

Posted By: Fin.
Date Posted: 13 Feb 07 at 10:31am

Hey all

thanks for the comments. I was close to buying a bought (Boss) but got a great deal with a laser5000.

I will be very soon be an owner of a laser5000 - should be a fun summer!.

Thanks for all your comments

The boat will be based in Dublin (Ireland) so am not sure whether I will be attending too many opens this year etc.

Findlay.

Posted By: CurlyBen
Date Posted: 13 Feb 07 at 6:03pm

Originally posted by olly_love

yea i do sail at weston. am the older blue hulled 14. which 5000 is urs. if u eva need a crew give me a call i used to sail a 5 tonner

Think mine's the only 5000 down at Weston at the moment, it's a white hull on a road base up near the car park. Think I saw you out last weekend, there was no wind and I was sat in a RIB!

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RS800 GBR848
Weston SC