Technique: Buying New Sail: Go Faster?

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Buying New Sail: Go Faster?

Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: Dinghy classes
Forum Name: Technique
Forum Discription: 'How to' section for dinghy questions and answers
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=10347
Printed Date: 28 Jun 25 at 7:51am
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Topic: Buying New Sail: Go Faster?

Posted By: dohertpk
Subject: Buying New Sail: Go Faster?
Date Posted: 05 Jan 13 at 7:02pm

Total noob question this; I've bought a Laser and I love it. I want to go faster; would buying a (brand) new sail improve the performance of my boat? I am in the fortunate position of being able to afford brand new and was wondering what kind of effect this would have on the global performance of the boat, i.e. in terms of speed and maneouvreability. Naturally, I know the main thing in getting my boat to perform better is getting better at making it perform, but I don't race much and I just want to go as fast as I can. Thanks!

Replies:

Posted By: kingdacks
Date Posted: 05 Jan 13 at 7:06pm

Second hand - ex worlds sail would do the trick much cheaper.

Posted By: Reuben T
Date Posted: 05 Jan 13 at 7:39pm

In terms of racing it would make a bit of a difference but I wouldn't imagine you would notice any extra speed when just sailing around unless you currently have one of the terribly old ones that you can practically see through. But if you have the money, go for it, what better to spend money on than a boat.

Posted By: dohertpk
Date Posted: 05 Jan 13 at 8:09pm

Thanks guys; I'll have a look for an ex-worlds one too. Conversely (yet another noob question), what effect does ageing and use have on sail and boat performance?

Posted By: jeffers
Date Posted: 06 Jan 13 at 8:09am

With a Laser sail the bigges issue is that the cloth stretches permanently in a very short period of time. This means the centre of effort tends to move back and you need to apply more cunningham/outhaul than you ordinarily would in order to get it to the right place. This has the knock on effect of depowering the sail (as this is what applying more cunningham does among other effects) and stretching the sail more. It is a vicious circle.

In terms of 'ageing' if a sail is stored correctly then a 20 year old unused sail should be just as good as new sail made of the same cloth cloth and to the same design.

I tend to find in a laser that unless your sail is really, really bad then an old sail will be just as fast at club level as a newer sail, it is more a psychological advantage.

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Paul
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D-Zero GBR 74

Posted By: Do Different
Date Posted: 06 Jan 13 at 8:38am

I sailed a Laser for several years and when I first started with the old sail that came with the secondhand boat. When I did eventually buy a new sail I thought that I felt a big difference in getting upwind, more forward drive for less heeling effect. Maybe it was all in my head but whatever it was worth the money. I'm no hotshot and probably never put on the massive cuningham loads that you see the top boys use, but as Jeffers says it's a vicious circle with a Laser regarding performance and very quickly dregrading the sail.

Posted By: kingdacks
Date Posted: 06 Jan 13 at 10:35am

Also the new laser sails, are very expensive. Personally in less your going to be serious racing around the circuit, doing qualifiers or ladder events. I would not bother. I would go for something reasonably new second hand, which is probably 200 pounds cheaper off ukla,apollo duck, ebay or even dinghybits facebook page. On ukla recently theres been some very good laser kit from ex olympic sailors who were selling there sails/boats off when they return home after there olympic campaign. Personally from your description you sound like your just starting out, wait maybe a season or two till you buy an absolute new one, if you feel its holding you back.

Posted By: PeterG
Date Posted: 06 Jan 13 at 10:49am

It's nice having a new sail, if you can afford it, but unless your current one is a rag or you are planning on racing seriously it's not going to make a very obvious difference.

As far as the effects of age on the hulls goes, they are pretty tough and an old one that's been looked after, and the gear maintained and replaced can be pretty competitive. Having said that I had a 30 year old one that had been been beach launched a lot, with the result that the bottom was soft in places. Changing from that to a 1 year old one was an eye opener, particularly in marginal planing conditions.

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Peter
Ex Cont 707
Ex Laser 189635
DY 59