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Laser 5000, where are they?! |
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Iain C
Really should get out more Joined: 16 Mar 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 1113 |
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Topic: Laser 5000, where are they?! Posted: 05 Sep 14 at 12:50pm |
Right then. Here's mine. I paid £1400 for it, sailed it around for a year as is, although in this pic the sails were added later at a cost of £600, which was for a pretty much perfect main, 3 jibs, and what started out as a very good kite. It's had a few other bits since but is a simply superb boats. Of all the boats I've owned this has had by far the least amount of time spending on it. The hulls do seem pretty strong (the hull is actually GBR340 so pretty old now). OK so it won't win an open (neither will I) but for blasting and not too serious racing you simply cannot beat a cheap old niner. Carbon sticks are pretty much essential, the bendy ally ones are crap. The systems and fit out are very simple. You do need good mainsheet/jib sheet combined system. Old rig bits are very easy to get and cheap...I did break a boom, a second hand one was about £50, and I split the glass top mast. A replacement was a freebie out of the weeds, and a day assembling the new mast. However kites don't last long, combination of a triple patch and the chute mouth behind the forestay on a club course does eat them. Weak spots are where the older style wings join the hull, wings that have been sanded to within an inch of their lives by squaddies to reduce weight, and where the shrouds join the hull (very accessible and easily beefed up). Two days before this pic was taken we were out in 28 knots and she held together, despite going upwind with everything ragging, the mast bending, and a couple of massive crashes downwind. However do be aware they are a big, powerful fairly unforgiving boat, that is very hard work as a crew. They are more than attainable if you start on lighter days (you will be twinning in sub 10 knots...the pic is Torquay, on the same day the Cherubs at Babbacombe were canned due to lack of wind), but there is a lot of power there so do keep the boat under the rig at all times. But in terms of smiles per pound they are unbeatable, the niner and an 18' skiff are truly the only boats I have sailed where going upwind is genuinely just as much fun as going downwind. |
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RS700 GBR922 "Wirespeed"
Fireball GBR14474 "Eleven Parsecs" Enterprise GBR21970 Bavaria 32 GBR4755L "Adastra" |
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Jack Sparrow
Really should get out more Joined: 08 Feb 05 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 2965 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 05 Sep 14 at 12:29pm |
you think there's much difference between an ISO and SPICE then Jim. |
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Do Different
Really should get out more Joined: 26 Jan 12 Location: North Online Status: Offline Posts: 1312 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 05 Sep 14 at 12:08pm |
Point taken on twin stringing JimC.
I was thinking more in terms of a cheap hoon about rat boat. However, unforeseen consequences and all that.
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JimC
Really should get out more Joined: 17 May 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Online Posts: 6649 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 05 Sep 14 at 11:58am |
As I recall they sailed as single string boats with narrower racks for some years as B14E.
There's a bit more to two stringing a boat than just taking the racks off and bunging two wires on: the support for the mast is entirely different if the righting moment is transferred direct to the mast rather than going up through the shrouds and spreaders, and suddenly your mast has lost a lot of control. If you go to mega rig tensions to get the spreaders working again you'll be stressing the hull way beyond design loads. The extra compression loads on the mast might well have a considerable effect on mast bend too. |
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Rod Porteous
Newbie Joined: 17 Feb 11 Online Status: Offline Posts: 21 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 05 Sep 14 at 11:57am |
What about a 59er with Trapeze as per Aussies
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Rupert
Really should get out more Joined: 11 Aug 04 Location: Whitefriars sc Online Status: Offline Posts: 8956 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 05 Sep 14 at 11:45am |
When the B14 first came out (well, once it returned as the B14, post Exocet days) wasn't there a trapeze option, which never caught on?
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Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686
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Do Different
Really should get out more Joined: 26 Jan 12 Location: North Online Status: Offline Posts: 1312 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 05 Sep 14 at 11:23am |
Lose the racks and twin wire a B14 then, if it's a budget boat I think the old alloy racks are prone to fatigue failure anyway. No extra strain on the mast as all that leverage from the racks would be going up to the hounds via the shrouds in any case. Proper easy DIY conversion, what say about 20 metres of twelve strand dyneema and jobs a good un. |
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laserboy404
Posting king Joined: 14 Mar 08 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 146 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 05 Sep 14 at 11:20am |
It's not a requirement as such, i'm sure i could get to grips with a 49er, i was just looking at more "sensible" alternatives first.
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Laser 159392
Javelin 53 |
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Jack Sparrow
Really should get out more Joined: 08 Feb 05 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 2965 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 05 Sep 14 at 11:13am |
Err... hang on, if stability is required a 49er IS NOT WHAT YOU WANT! So I'd park that idea. int 14 penultimate RS800 BOSS SPICE or Take the wings off an ISO and stick another wire on it. |
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winging it
Really should get out more Joined: 22 Mar 07 Online Status: Offline Posts: 3958 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 05 Sep 14 at 11:06am |
Clearly a case for the creation of a Frankenboat.
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the same, but different...
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