Gnav Vang Kits for laser 2

hi

Trying to make more room on our clubs laser 2.

Has anyone tried to put on Gnav vang instead of a kicker for the laser 2.

Even better can you buy kits to do this.

bye

john

we've developed a Gnav kit for the Laser 3000 which re-uses the existing vang blocks to keep the price down ... makes a huge difference to crew comfort and is now allowed in our class rules

see http://www.3000class.org.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=655

the kit is available from Vandercraft for about £140, assuming you have a similar kicker to ours for the existing parts required, you can get contact details on the website homepage

not sure if it would be compatible with your mast and bendy boom, but might give you ideas on rigging something similar

while you're at it, go for an aft bridle arrangement with off-the-boom sheeting, which also makes a huge difference to sailing comfort (not compatible with single handed trapezing if you're into that)

I wrote to the L2 Association 10 years ago suggesting (I was an L2 sailor then)  the Gnav (& spreaders!) would make the class more attractive. I was told that such things were unthinkable in a strict one-design class; now there's hardly anything of the class left compared to its hey-day. Adapt or perish is nature's way.

The 3k Gnav won't suit a Laser 2 unless the fitting at the boom end of the strut is changed to suit the L2's round boom - though I'm sure that would be possible: 14's use Gnavs that act on their rounded top carbon booms. I'm thinking of some sort of high-tech rain guttering, inverted and bolted onto the strut...

But for sure, a Gnav would help crews a lot on the L2 just as it has on the 3k. Aren't we a caring lot, we helms?

As to off-the-boom sheeting on a L2, I'm sure that won't be allowed under class rules either. Also, the sheet loads are appreciably higher on an L2 than on a 3k because the 2:1 is not at the boom-end but some distance in, which means off-the-boom could be a bit of a handful (!), unless you use the optional 3:1 blocks.

But is it class legal to remove the floor mounted block, Nick? I used to take the sheet from the boom, Laser style, on the kite reaches, but removing the final block is another matter and doesn't sound very much like the L2 class I knew.

Many thanks for all the replys.

Due to other boat damages the task has been moved to the winter.

bye