Print Page | Close Window

Laser fun ?

Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: General
Forum Name: How old is your boat?
Forum Discription: Antiques or brand new... tell us here!
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4374
Printed Date: 28 Mar 24 at 11:08am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.665y - http://www.webwizforums.com


Topic: Laser fun ?
Posted By: chippy1
Subject: Laser fun ?
Date Posted: 12 Jul 08 at 2:23pm

We have just bought a Laser Fun sailing dinghy, she is grp, has a main and jib but no spinny, this is our first boat and we,re pleased with how she sails finding her quite lively, is there anyone that can give me any background info on these boats, age etc, also any tips on how to get the best out of her.

                              thanks Robert 




Replies:
Posted By: Medway Maniac
Date Posted: 14 Jul 08 at 10:55pm

The Laser Fun is basically a Laser 2 without the spinnaker chute of the more recent boats and with a cheaper cut of stripey sails. There was an optional spinnaker (identical to Laser 2 but launched from bags like the original Laser 2's) and trapeze.

A real potential handicap bandit if you add the kite and trapeze; probably a bit overcanvassed without the trapeze. The RYA quoted me 1080, though in principle the boat should be pretty much the same as a Laser 2 (PY 1035).

To sail fast - keep her dead upright and keep your weight well forward moving aft only when you're sure you're planing - and use the spinnaker whenever possible. And oh yes - tie the lower mainsheet block to the middle of the bridle, i.e. stop it travelling from side to side. More tips from any (former) Laser 2 sailor you can find - there are lots of rigging tweaks that make the boat quicker and easier than the original Laser spec, which was dire.



-------------
http://www.wilsoniansc.org.uk" rel="nofollow - Wilsonian SC
http://www.3000class.org.uk" rel="nofollow - 3000 Class


Posted By: chippy1
Date Posted: 15 Jul 08 at 1:19pm
thanks for the reply, will try what u suggested, any laser 2 owners with any advice it would be welcome as it seems any rigging/sailing tips may also apply to my laser fun .


Posted By: Medway Maniac
Date Posted: 15 Jul 08 at 1:39pm

Have a look at this:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=NucUidg5TIs - http://youtube.com/watch?v=NucUidg5TIs

The second half is especiallly useful to you, showing how to rig the mainsheet bridle ('traveller' as he calls it, tho' it doesn't travel!). As you'll see, you can get a complete rigging manual at the address indicated.



-------------
http://www.wilsoniansc.org.uk" rel="nofollow - Wilsonian SC
http://www.3000class.org.uk" rel="nofollow - 3000 Class


Posted By: chippy1
Date Posted: 15 Jul 08 at 3:07pm

Great vid,I see what u mean by centering the lower block on the bridle. I,ve downloaded a rigging manual for a laser fun from the laser website and I now know I need some spares namely - Reefng drum, some kind of rotating shackle for the top of the jib (sorry don,t know the correct name), a cunningham line and hook and a reefing line. Sadly laser can,t help as they no longer carry spares for the laser fun , any ideas where I can get these spares or something similar that may work. Thanks for your help.

                                                     Chippy1



Posted By: alstorer
Date Posted: 15 Jul 08 at 3:33pm

Weren't there multiple variations on the Laser Fun? I've heard of, but not seen, that there was a version with an assymetric, long before the 3000 came along.

May not have been in the UK.

As for the furler stuff, what you're possibly best doing is getting along to a decent chandlery and talking to them. Migth be a little more expensive than online, but more help.



Posted By: Medway Maniac
Date Posted: 15 Jul 08 at 3:56pm

Personally, I'd live without the furler - it raises the jib undesirably above the foredeck. L2 sailors were obsessive at one time about lowering the jib as far as possible, even fiddling with the bow U-bolt (e.g. removing the upper nuts) to achieve this.

There were two versions of the Laser Fun that I encountered - the basic Fun and the Fun 'New Wave' which had a cobbled-together asymmetric spinnaker system, with which the kite was sometimes very tricky to coax back into the chute and which had a deck-mounted pole. The Laser 3000 was effectively the fully-sorted version of the latter.

One advantage of the Fun over the Laser 2 was that it had spreaders rather than diamonds, which meant that if you fitted spreaders of appropriate length and rake you could get mast pre-bend for light airs sailing, something which was hugely desirable but impossible with the 2.

I wouldn't rely solely on the Laser rigging manual - the class association version will produce a better boat.



-------------
http://www.wilsoniansc.org.uk" rel="nofollow - Wilsonian SC
http://www.3000class.org.uk" rel="nofollow - 3000 Class


Microsoft VBScript runtime error '800a005e'

Invalid use of Null: 'Replace'

/forum/functions/functions_format_post.asp, line 959