Laser mast chock?
Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: Dinghy classes
Forum Name: Dinghy development
Forum Discription: The latest moves in the dinghy market
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=11727
Printed Date: 10 Jul 25 at 5:09am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.665y - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Laser mast chock?
Posted By: Riv
Subject: Laser mast chock?
Date Posted: 21 Oct 14 at 4:29pm
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I'm off my board now as the winter is comming on and back on the ancient Laser with its standard rig. Just for fun (not racing)and because I like making things, have a large block of Nylon and a band saw, does anyone think that the boat will go better if I chock the mast forwards, so reducing some of the weather helm and making it a little easier to get under the boom? I measured mine up, it has 13.5mm of fore and aft play and a much newer one has about 11.5mm of play, doing the sums this translates into aprox 220 to 190mm of movement at the mast head. Assuming I loose a quarter of this in slop this gives about 142mm to 165mm or about 5.5" to 6.5" forward at the top. What do you think? |
Replies:
Posted By: JimC
Date Posted: 21 Oct 14 at 5:29pm
| Betcha it makes no difference to the "weather helm" at all! Old school leadmine sailors get very fixated on mast position and weather helm, but most dinghies share the sideload between cb and rudder and large differences in rake make very little difference... What most people think of as weather helm is mainly caused by heel. |
Posted By: Old Timer
Date Posted: 21 Oct 14 at 5:30pm
| Folk law states that in the early days hatches were installed to "repair" the mast foot leading to exactly what you are doing to gain more leech tension upwind ... |
Posted By: Rupert
Date Posted: 21 Oct 14 at 7:37pm
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Yup, you could really, really bend the mast, then snap it. Even quicker than normal!
------------- Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686 |
Posted By: Riv
Date Posted: 21 Oct 14 at 9:06pm
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Never snapped any part of my Laser.....I could just sheet it in a littles less tight. So the general concensus is hike harder...... |
Posted By: craiggo
Date Posted: 21 Oct 14 at 10:01pm
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Dont necessarily need to hike harder, just sail the boat flat!
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Posted By: Chris 249
Date Posted: 21 Oct 14 at 11:37pm
My old Laser (52XXX) suffered a mast-tube failure and when I was repairing it, I ended up with the mast ab out (IIRC) 75mm-100mm too far forward at the tip. In the first championship race I sailed it in that configuration, I scored more points that I had counted in all of the two previous championships I had sailed!  It was amazing to see how much difference it made to the upwind speed; the boat just would not go. Downwind speed was good, but getting to the top mark in 30th spot is too much of a handicap.I did hack away at the mast base to get the rake back closer to normal and the upwind speed improved again, but the boat had had it's day as a racer; it's now giving Sea Scouts a lot of fun. The Laser's weather helm is designed in because the Bruces feel that it's faster. I don't think the boat really has massive weather helm - it's just that Bruce Kirby liked an old-style heavily-raked rudder. Ian Bruce actually reduced the rudder rake but it's still much more raked than most modern boats. To reduce the heavy feel of the rudder, just drill an new hole for the rudder pin to allow the rudder to sit more upright. I've sailed mine with a broken rudder pin and it felt good! I do wish the class would allow us to sit the rudder more upright.
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Posted By: Riv
Date Posted: 22 Oct 14 at 2:14pm
| Thanks Chris, really useful information. |