Originally posted by gordon1277 Hi Turnturtle I have a cassette rudder on my Phantom and I really dont like it, I would prefer a lifting or if I sailed somewhere else (or was a better sailor) a fixed. So I dont see them as sophisticated just a pain in the ++== for getting of and onto a beach.

Originally posted by jeffers Originally posted by SimonW99 Doesnt that have to be a function of any sail power adjustment whether with the same sail or different ones. Laser rudder is too small for a 4.7 in a blow :-0 The Laser Rudder is too small period and has very high load that practically eliminates any feel.

On the flip side of that I much prefer a cassette rudder to a swinging rudder. I can get it up 1/3 to 1/2 on the way in and still maintain a light rudder load and much better control.

Yes but .... Reminds me of a story involving Peaky ... when he had a crew and an Icon.  We encouraged him to enter the Sheppey Race with said Icon (which had a cassette rudder- it was allowed and was his preferred weapon)  Anyway we expressed concern about the possibility of 'hitting the hard stuff' which as many know is just possible at Sheppey ( ).  Anyway Toby insisted he would/could so very easily 'raise the foil' maybe 50% or whatever in 'the shallow areas' .. and rejected our offer of a loaned pivotting one).  Those who know Sheppey will already be shoulting out loud that the water is pretty murky and it is mostly impossible to see more than 3" through the stuff let alone see all the potential shallows .... Anyway about 5 miles into the race the inevitable happened - resulting in the transom fittings departing from the back of the boat complete with the casette stock and blade.  (Well Peaky was surprised anyway).... Credit to him he hung onto the extension and recovered the bits .. and then sailed back 5 miles upwind without a rudder at all....

The moral of the story - Life (and the hard stuff) often gets you when you are not expecting it.  Nothing wrong with cassette arrangements btw if you never touch the hard stuff  - but they are not always the most practical or best thing either.... if you want the 'best' then there are many who wil argue that a fixed one is superior to anything - it is but for everything, all of the time and for everybody ?  

Mass produced boats that are going to sell widely will get used at a very wide range of locations - the 'best' generic default solution as on the Laser, plus now Aero and many more SMOD boats therefore has to be a pivoting rudder surely ?    


Edited by Cirrus - 22 Mar 16 at 10:16pm

Originally posted by zippyRN Originally posted by jeffers Originally posted by SimonW99 Doesnt that have to be a function of any sail power adjustment whether with the same sail or different ones. Laser rudder is too small for a 4.7 in a blow :-0 The Laser Rudder is too small period and has very high load that practically eliminates any feel. conversely that claim can be dismissed in terms  of boat handling and set up  knowledge and experience deficits...

Laser shouts at you when you are sailing well a lot tbh. Its a fair point that the crap rudder does punish poor sailing especially bear aways more than a good one.
It is one of many elements that reduce its popularity with beginners tho!