Laser 2 regatta ,am i too heavy for this
Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: General
Forum Name: Choosing a boat
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URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=6976
Printed Date: 10 Aug 25 at 3:56am
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Topic: Laser 2 regatta ,am i too heavy for this
Posted By: bigholty
Subject: Laser 2 regatta ,am i too heavy for this
Date Posted: 26 Jul 10 at 7:22pm
Hi all , my name is Ian , new to this forum ..
Well i went sailing this weekend ( hired a topper topaz? 2 man thingy ) it was great !! I was going to get a sailboard but to be honest i dont want to do any more solitary sports , i started my water life when i was 8 years old ,in an international moth , then in to an enterprise ,then to a laser (all my dads) i went on to windsurfing when i was 13 and quit when i was 28 , im now 43 and the bug for the water has never left me ( plumber by trade so i get paid to move water about now ) i took my mate with me ,hes never even tried a wetsuit on let alone been sailing before , he was shocked to how much fun a "little sailing boat " could be , my 5 year old wasnt overly keen but it was his first time aswell...Right to the point as to why im here , im 15.5 stone my mate is 11 stone would a laser 2 regatta be too small for us both , for ( now ) just learning (him) and relearning ( me ) the art of sailing to get back in to local racing ...
ALL advise will be taken on board , i want a faster boat not just a recreational boat , something to work at and something that will shift when the wind gets up , more importantly ( at this point ) cheap to get back into and start racing again ..
Thanks all
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Replies:
Posted By: Stargazey
Date Posted: 26 Jul 10 at 11:31pm
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Not sure if you are too heavy - but there is not a lot of room inside a L2 for two chaps of a rotund or larger frame ....
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Posted By: redback
Date Posted: 26 Jul 10 at 11:36pm
I'd go ahead if I were you. There's too much talk about
being the correct weight if you ask me. Sure its going to
be important if you are competing at a high level but if
you want to get out there and have fun just get on with it.
If you are racing competitively then it becomes more
important and frankly there are few boats that take that
sort of weight well. But on the other hand unless you are
really tall you'll never be able to maintain 15.5 stone if
you are racing competitively.
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Posted By: Medway Maniac
Date Posted: 26 Jul 10 at 11:55pm
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I'd have thought that 26.5 stone was too heavy for the L2 hull, especially with the heavy one at the back. The transom will dig in and drag like heck, and the sails are small. We felt we were nigh on perfect weight for ours, and we were under 20 stone all-up.
What do other people race locally?
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Posted By: timnoyce
Date Posted: 27 Jul 10 at 11:18am
When I was at uni we sailed a Laser 2, I was around 15 stone and my helm was around 10-11 stone, but I crewed. We were essentially too heavy to be competitive across the wind range but still managed some good results. (4th at a student nationals with a 65 boat fleet when I never used the trapeze as it was so light).
I think there is a lot to be said for the Laser 2, goes alright in light wind, goes well when it is windy, and they are cheap. Not sure what the spares situation is these days as I think Laser stopped backing them in the UK. I'd say go for it.
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Cherub 2648 - Comfortably Numb
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Posted By: bigholty
Date Posted: 27 Jul 10 at 3:33pm
The other option i can go for is a GRP fireball , is this a wise choice, seen here
http://sailingdinghies.apolloduck.co.uk/display.phtml?aid=15 28do36 what do you think of these , again im starting from scatch in buying a boat, its got to be fun , got to be fast , and if i can race it and be as competitive as i can push it , im near Rutland water ( 25 miles or so) so nice big puddle to play with ..
Also do you think an international 14 would be to much for a realativly new sailer ( know the ropes just got to pull the right ones again )
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Posted By: Granite
Date Posted: 28 Jul 10 at 12:26pm
The Laser II used to be used by a lot of Uni's for team racing with both people hiking, and it goes quite well like that for two big blokes. I would say that it is an aquword boat to trapeze from, particularly if you are big, and I would not like to teach someone trapizing on one.
One advantage of them is that they are simple so the difference between a good cheap one and a bad cheap one is small.
The fireball could be a good option, however they are more variable so you would need to be careful about the condition of the boat, and systems when buying a cheap one.
An International 14 would be quite a handfull for someone getting back into sailing.
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If it doesn't break it's too heavy; if it does it wasn't built right
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Posted By: Medway Maniac
Date Posted: 28 Jul 10 at 12:27pm
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I'd definitely go for the Fireball in your position. Welcomes a heavier crew much more than an L2.
Can't follow the link you posted, but if you want to be competitive and go GRP, you really need a Winder-built boat. Then get along to a class training day or open meeting and soak up the tips, especially on use of the kicker.
A 14 would be a handful for you.
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http://www.wilsoniansc.org.uk" rel="nofollow - Wilsonian SC
http://www.3000class.org.uk" rel="nofollow - 3000 Class
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