Whats the Gold Medal Winning Sheet?
by Steve Cockerill 9 Feb 2007 23:56 GMT
9 February 2007
As it is the time you start to take a look at the sheets on your boat – we thought we should remind you of how Rooster Sailing started – it was after Steve Cockerill designed a sheet for the Laser and called it Polilite. It is still the best mainsheet in the world for a Laser and other small dinghies - if you believe the current Laser Olympic Gold Medallist Robert Schiedt. Designed to prevent tangles in the boat, it has its load-bearer on the outside of the rope – so it pinches the inner to make it more stable – yet it absorbs less than normal ropes as the inner is a floating line. As the outer is made of Polyester – it has serous hard wearing properties – but we still recommend changing it on an annual basis.
Robert was one of the first sailors I talked to about Polilite when I met up with him in Spa regatta – some 10 years ago. He and his arch rival Ben Ainslie used the sheet to win every world Championship and Olympics from then till Athens. They both started using the 7mm version before switching to the 6mm version prior to Sydney in 2000. They reported that the 7mm was a little too heavy for the very light winds of Sydney and the 6mm became the rope of choice for these two in their famous battle in Sydney Harbour. Interestingly – Robert did not think the rope was a bad omen after coming second to Ben and selected it again for the Athens Games – where he took the gold.
These guys trusted Polilite – why don’t you give it a go? It’s not even expensive!
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