A real easy test to find a leak in the bailer area or the centerboard is to cover over the bailer and cb slot (bottom side) with good duct tape and splash the boat for a while. If there isn't any water in the hull then take off one or the other and if it leaks then, then you will know which one...
I sheared the Vang tang off'n my boat too. If you just have the rivet stems (without the head) in the mast tube all you have to do is take a nail and hammer and punch them on through and turn the bottom section upside down to dump them out.
If you ever need to take out a rivet get a large drill...
In very light conditions I've noticed that the boats seem to get distributed by the weight of the skipper. You could easily just not race, weigh everyone and give out the awards starting with the lightest!
The new blocks seem to help with letting the main out on a broad reach and gybing in light air. Also the main sheet doesn't seem to drag in the water as much when the boom is out all the way.
According to Ian Bruce, if you are a lightweight then pull up the board a bit and sail faster and let the foil work to gain height.
I saw an article somewhere on the net where someone did a test on this and tried all wind conditions with the board at different settings I will try and find it...
Thanks Strangler ... I love the 505
I do think it is relevant to the Laser! we are trying to understand how to use the centerboard and looking at other boats and how they work in comparison is a good way to learn.
The Laser daggerboard is a symmetrical airfoil or and airplane wing stuck straight down from the bottom of your boat. when the boat moves, water flows over the *foil* and creates lift to one side or the other depending on it's *angle of attack* resulting in higher pointing ability. I know a good...
If you watch the video, Ian Bruce mentions that the daggerboard for the Laser is too long. So for sailors at the *designed weight* it may be better for them to raise the daggerboard up thus sailing faster and then generating more lift over the foils to keep from loosing height.
The daggerboard...
Interesting ...
I just watched the videos again on the Byte Class site and Ian gives some insight on the Laser dagger board in heavy air.
check it out in video #8
Does anybody else raise the board when beating to windward in a breeze?
I think that it has something to do with bending the mast. When you sheet in to block to block you tighten the sail through the leach resulting in mast bend. if you let the sheet relax the mast pops up and you get a different sail shape.
an interesting video on trimming the sail of a Byte...
you don't need to spend a lot on a spray top either -- just use a rain jacket -- you might have one of those ...
I wear a rain jacket from bicycling and sometimes over an old fleece top that I have too.
I have seen videos from the 60s of guys wearing wool sweaters.
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