New Vs Old Hull

Hi everyone, I recently bought a laser (117077) which is fairly old although has had only 10 years of use. It seems pretty fast but was wondering how much difference a newer one makes and if its worth spending twice the money on a newer one in the future...
Are there any other good tips to make lasers faster and more efficient?

Thanks

I used to have a 13xxxx model laser, lightly used and in good condition, no leaks etc. the first few times I took it out in strong wind, I had some breakage where old rusted out screw heads would pull off leaving the screws left in the deck with no head.

After a bit of work getting them out, bought all new marine grade replacement screws and epoxied them into the hull. Didn't have any problems other than a broken top section in the two years of hard sailing and racing.

Because I took care of it, gelcoated all the dings etc., when it came time to sell it I got my money back, the knowledge that came from my experience with it, and a happy new owner!

Id say you won't notice the performance difference unless you get really good... It's also nice to learn how to take care of your laser on an old boat rather than learning from your mistakes on a new boat! That way in a few years time if you do want to upgrade, you'll know from experience just how to keep it in pristine condition.

I'd say there are more things you can do to make a laser slower than make it faster, since it's a one design. I'd just make sure there are no major chips and dings on your hull, make sure your centreboard and rudder are in one piece and smooth, it doesn't leak etc. As for efficient, find ways of rigging that work for you.

There is a lot of information on here and on the web about different ways to set your laser up (outhaul, Cunningham etc). There are ways that minimize the amount of effort needed to pull on the controls, ways that will reduce the time it takes to get you on the water...

The best way to find out what works and what doesn't is to pressure test it. I found out quickly in strong wind and in close racing what works and what doesn't.

Not sure if this is the type of info your looking for but hope it helps some.

It depends on what level you're racing on whether its worth it or not, As Slipstream said there is a difference but its probably not going to effect you unless you're at the top level, a new boat is probably a little bit lighter because it hasn't absorbed much water (if you find one on the light side of the tolerances it make more difference), a new hull is likely a little stiffer and more responsive as a result, the gel coat is in perfect shape (or at least it should be) on a new boat, if you keep up your older boat you'll still be fast and you can certainly beat newer boats, leaks will slow you down and make the boat sluggish, even new boats sometimes come with leaks so its important to fix any leaks

Thanks for helping to answer my question, tbh there are a few small circular cracks that could do with some gelcoating so i'll work on those.
I'm sure most of the speed in lasers comes out of the people who race them and not the boat as much after what you guys have said...
Although if a new boat dosen't make much difference to performance, I'm not totally sure why people go and spend £4500 on a new one!
i also have some spare cash to spend on the boat and was wondering what to spend it on eg: Gelcoat repairs, Xd kits etc ??

If you don't have the updated rigging its worth the investment, an acme or marstrom tiller with a nice extension (I like the JCD extension), also definitely recommend the newly approved daggerboard downhaul, it works great, I would suggest getting some wet-sandpaper (read about the numbers to use there are posts here), get some cleaner wax and finish wax for the hull, ( PTEF works well, you can put it on the blades but keep in mind that if you capsize you won't have much grip and the daggerboard might slip out easier) if you use the waxes you won't have to spend a ton of time wet sanding to keep the hull shiny, you can repair the gelcoat if you have big scratches, you probably don't have to go crazy, spend more time on wetsanding and waxing, a decent cover will protect the deck pretty well from the elements so make sure you have one

laserxd said:

If you don't have the updated rigging its worth the investment, an acme or marstrom tiller with a nice extension (I like the JCD extension), also definitely recommend the newly approved daggerboard downhaul, it works great, I would suggest getting some wet-sandpaper (read about the numbers to use there are posts here), get some cleaner wax and finish wax for the hull, ( PTEF works well, you can put it on the blades but keep in mind that if you capsize you won't have much grip and the daggerboard might slip out easier) if you use the waxes you won't have to spend a ton of time wet sanding to keep the hull shiny, you can repair the gelcoat if you have big scratches, you probably don't have to go crazy, spend more time on wetsanding and waxing, a decent cover will protect the deck pretty well from the elements so make sure you have one

Click to expand...

If you do put PTEF polish on the daggerboard, keep it off the trailing edge, otherwise it won't grip the rubber retainer and it pops up all the time. The PTEF polish makes cleaning the boat a breeze, and if you sail on water where there is oil or you get road grime from trailering, it just wipes away easily.

Ok, had a look for some ptfe on the net, think I might get some...
If I do buy an XD kit i'll probably go for the kicker though.
My boat came with a wooden tiller lol so i'm thinking of getting a new one (probably carbon.) I have just bought 7mm mainsheet as well but do you think 7mm is too thin or will i have to wear gloves?

As long as the hull is still stiff and dry then things like bad roll tacks/mark roundings will slow you down far more than an old hull.
My first laser was for my ability fine on inland water, however the first time I sailed it on the sea in large waves (Stokes Bay Qualifier 2001) I soon realised how soft and flexible my 14xxxx boat was and changed up to a new boat. Combination of my improved sailing since getting the boat in 1997/8 and a wavy venue meant the boat was no longer good enough. I was still winning races in her on flat water though.

Right, in that case I'm guessing its worth saving up money to buy XD kits and other stuff to help my old boat sail nicely than saving up instead for a newer boat altogether... ?