Old Vang/New Vang

Rob B

Rob B

Well-Known Member
OK what's the REAL STORY here? Recent photo of Paige R. shows here using an modified old school vang in the radial. Robert S. does the same. What are the rest of us NOT being told?
 
The new vang is Harken's conspiracy to take over the world, muha ha ha ha ha ha ha (evil laugh)!

Only Scheidt and Paige have figured it out through their status as higher sailing beings. If you free your mind, will your vang follow?
 
okay- now I am a dork. I looked at the pic of Paige R. on the cover of laser.org and she is using the new vang. I have seen the pics of Scheidt's vang. I say don't question the master. He hasn't used the new vang in any major event where he was photographed since the new rules.
 
Sheidt probably didnt change his because he probably doesnt see the point in fixing something that doesnt need fixed. i personally got a new one because getting the vang off at the windward mark was a pain in the but but with the new one it is much easier.
 
MScott said:
okay- now I am a dork. I looked at the pic of Paige R. on the cover of laser.org and she is using the new vang. I have seen the pics of Scheidt's vang. I say don't question the master. He hasn't used the new vang in any major event where he was photographed since the new rules.
Click to expand...

Are you sure? It looks like the old vang with an extra block at the top to me. Anyone else look at this?
 
Well it might have something to do with there the best in the world at lasers and radials they could sail with 30 year old boats with the old system and still win I think its not a big deal for them what equpment they use so they just use whatever or there proving it can be done when the new system came out shiet didnt use it maybe hes taunting us.
 
The upgrades do not make the boat any faster, they make it easier to adjust the controls. "Easier" here especially applies to us dorks who spend most of their time behind a desk and visit the gym twice (or less) a week. For someone like Scheidt the new vang is not necessarily easier. He figured how to deal with the old system and is much stronger and athletic than any of us. I think many sailors who sail laser for a long time did use the old system during the past olympics. Younger sailors (including most american sailors) use the newer system. One could explain this as a difference in generation. I am quite sure everyone did change the outhaul and cunnigham system.
Railey is also one of the younger sailors and she does use the new system. Check out the pictures at www.paigerailey.com and you will see it for yourself.
Hence, if you train a lot (30 hours on the boat per week, and 30 hours in the gym) and are really good, you will probably become really good with the old system and decide that a new system will need a lot of training to adjust to. The new system feels different, behaves different and adjusts differently. You will need to get a new feel for it.
So, if you spend not so much time on the boat or gym, and you cannot adjust your old vang with your eyes closed, then a new system will pay off for you.

GWF
 
Borrow somebody's new vang and sail with it a little bit. If you like it buy one, or continue to use the old one (and be careful not to trip over your knuckles as the drag on the ground).
 
Since I started using the new vang neither Robert Scheidt nor Ben Ainsle has crossed a finish line ahead of me.

It is also true that neither one of them has ever crossed ahead of Jessica Simpson, Queen Elizabeth or Osama Bin Laden.


Finally? No one has used either the Harken or Holt vang system to scale mount Everest or adjust the gears on a bicycle during the Tour De France..
 
I know that Robert is always using other boats. In the laser 2000CD he is using a rental. It's possible he was using a lender. After all at his level I doubt it really matters.... especially as much as he's sailed the boat.


-K
 
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