Quitting lasering, selling the voodoo

Voodoo 158546

Hard hiking at the end of a 3hr race, killer
It's been a long run, plenty of great memories since I first got into one but my lifestyle and the many mental things I've done to myself, the crazy physical situations I've found myself in have really started to catch me up so I made a decision yesterday to advertise voodoo and I doubt I'll be lasering again.
I went out yesterday in semi harsh gusty conditions, worked really hard and fought the pain the whole time...
It wasn't even a beating course we had southerlies and the river runs east /west...today my knees are puffed up and climbing the stairs to shower sucks...I'm moving like an arthritic old lady.
I've been fighting it for a couple of years, denial is a great tool.

I got mashed up launching a rib back in March, mcl ligaments got ripped off the left tibia, nearly broke the leg. It's kept me off the water until a fortnight ago.
I went out last week and could hardly chase my daughters around all week, here I am now worse than before..if I carry on I won't be walking much so, it's time to admit to myself....
Looking at less strenuous dinghies...
 
Fear not, the forum will come to your rescue. Someone on here must have a remedy for dodgy knees that involves nothing more than a Dremmel and some West's epoxy.
 
Thanks for your sentiments Andy...
Torrid ... Lolz sorry mate it's a big selling point...but flattered you likey.
Got some interest from a few peeps already, just playing email tennis atm.
Got my beady eyes on a b14

You know Alien, I can totally picture dremelling away at the crunchy gear in there, knock up a carbon disc and slip it in, pad it out with some sikaflex and gaffer tape it, be back in a fortnight mebbe
 
Got my beady eyes on a b14
I just Googled Images for a b14 and am feeling a bit better about Voodoo's anouncement.

Heck, why don't you just go all in and find yourself a foiling A-cat? A foiling one would soften the ride for da knees. Plus, an all black sail and hulls would look frickin awesome! :D

a-cat.jpg


- Andy
 
Like Voodoo I too am selling up and going for a new challenge. Just to echo the above though Voodoo do stick around mate, your knowledge is good and it can be a laugh here sometimes, I shall stay around.
 
Whilst we are on the subject, this will be my new toy when i take delivery (sorry couldn't resist). I am told there will be 8 heading over to CA for you folks stateside if you are close and want to see one:

yandy105256.jpg
 
I really like that boat, should be a nice stepup from the laser. My worry is how many of them will there be for you to sail against. That is the problem I have with my Raider, I love the boat but there are never any others to race against, so they end up putting me "somewhere". Last time they put it against the international canoes, which have a 10 point dpn advantage over my boat. This was the main reason I bought the laser. The boat you are buying looks like it could easily be the replacement for the laser fleet, but time will tell.
Enjoy it!!
 
Cavi: Dinghy racing in the UK is a different story from that in North America. Over there, there are many events with all sorts of boats in the same race. Finishes are timed. Then the handicap is applied to see who really won (and lost).

You can already find some results pitting the RS Aero against classical boats such as the Laser. And I will be looking for the comparison between the Aero and the D-Zero. Actually, there will be three flavors of the RS-Aero, differing in sail size, to make such comparisons more difficult and open to debate.

Of course, there is (a lot of) one-design racing as well in the UK; nothing but Lasers or nothing but Optis etc., with class championships and all the hoopla that goes along with those.

It's really unfortunate, that handicap (dinghy) racing isn't more common in North America (just MHO).
 
my local club does handicap racing, but the club is small and typically there are no more than 5 or 6 boats in a race. But once a year they do a national level race, and this is where they put me against the ics, they did still adjust for handicap, but there was a time limit and that made it tough since there is soo much difference from the ic. Anyway, I am keeping my Raider and I just added the laser and may go to tahoe and the bay area t odo some laser races, as it would be fun! I still love my Raider, but honestly it is a much better boat to race with 2 in the boat for weight distribution reasons. It is a boat that will not flip easy, but any minor shift in weight affect the boat attitude very much. When singlehanded it is fine with a decent constant wind, but with a shifty or light wind you will get a work out moving in and out of the boat fast to compensate. With a second person you can put them on the leeward side until the wind builds up and it really stabilizes the boat alot!!
 
Just curious after sailing last night and flipped 6 times, my arms and shoulders are killing me. Why will that boat be less stress on your body.. love the boat.
 
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As mentioned by Wavedancer. We do have a lot of handicap racing over here as well as the fleet racing so there will always be someone to race against. Hopefully both the Aero and the D-zero will take off. I have heard that both boats are making their way overseas so if you get a chance to try them then do so.
 
Just curious after sailing last night and flipped 6 times, my arms and shoulders are kiloing me. Why will that boat be less stress on your body.. love the boat.
Without expertknowledge I guess that the hiking ergonomy in the Laser is as challenging as it get's because of the flat decksides. Then a boat with less weight and better wave piercing will go smother and accelerate better hence less strain on the sailor when the hull pushes through the water. On the other hand more sail area......
I guess a better hiking ergonomy is something my knees would appriciate.
 
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Without expertknowledge I guess that the hiking ergonomy in the Laser is as challenging as it get's because of the flat decksides. Then a boat with less weight and better wave piercing will go smother and accelerate better hence less strain on the sailor when the hull pushes through the water. On the other hand more sail area......
I guess a better hiking ergonomy is something my knee's would appriciate.

The Laser is one of the most physical dinghies to sail precisely because of the ergonomics required to sail it fast.

The D-Zero (my new toy) is a different beast, is has a much more efficient shape and a much more ergonomic hiking posture. I sailed one for 3 hours (through a day) and my legs did not feel tired at all whereas 3 hours hiking a Laser and I would have been struggling to walk the next day.

Voodoos new beast is different entirely. That is a singlehanded trapeze boat. No hiking required but a whole different skillset and a new challenge for him.
 
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The D-Zero (my new toy) is a different beast, is has a much more efficient shape .....
With risk of hijacking this thread I can't resist asking You about the speed of the boat downwind and how that would play out in class fleet racing.

How much faster is it and how does that effect apparent wind, where does the wheather come from downwind. I have an affinity for slower old school downwind racing when the game changes at the top and bottom marks. Wheather from the bow and from the stern.
 
With risk of hijacking this thread I can't resist asking You about the speed of the boat downwind and how that would play out in class fleet racing.

How much faster is it and how does that effect apparent wind, where does the wheather come from downwind. I have an affinity for slower old school downwind racing when the game changes at the top and bottom marks. Wheather from the bow and from the stern.

In my relatively short experience of sailing the boat it is not so much faster that it will effect apparent wind to and great amount (you really need a kite of some kind to generate that kind of speed).

The fact that the boat is a lot lighter than the Laser (hull is 20kgs lighter then you have a carbon rig rather than an aliminium rig) means it accelerates faster and planes earlier. Combine that with a more efficient hull form and the boat speed is much better. In the UK the curent 'estimates' is that it will be between 30-50 yardstick points faster on average (1 point = 3 seconds over 1 hour of racing). Whether that will be borne out in 'anger' only time will tell.

I will add that with 2 matched helms, 1 in each boat I would expect the D-Zero to have a handy lead by the windward mark though.

Once I take delivery and get some racing under my belt I will post back if people want me to.
 
In my relatively short experience of sailing the boat it is not so much faster that it will effect apparent wind to and great amount (you really need a kite of some kind to generate that kind of speed).
Yeah, I guess at least a kite or leverage from a trapheze or an other hull to support a larger sail, or foiling is needed for "apparent wind sailing".

Thats good, it means that there is a lot more fun to explore still about Laserish sailing. So please fill in as You learn more about what the D-Zero brings.
 
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Well I am finally getting the new toy tomorrow and have a day pass to sail it on Sunday so I will post back with some comparisons. I have been allocated and handicap rating that makes it about 2 mins an hour faster than a Laser.
 
I agree, having followed it (from afar) that the D-zero is a fine design, with probably no disadvantages compared with a Laser except 1) cost and 2) no current distribution channels in the US. Yes, the US has the RS Aero, and that also looks like a fine boat, but a different boat as well, especially for people coming from the Laser (my guess only). If any of you US folk are interested, suggest you lobby Rodney at Suntouched sailboats UK (Devoti's distributor), to register your interest. It all starts there.
 
I know Rodney @ Suntouched is trying to set something up stateside but if US people can register interest then that will help!
 

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