Classic rig, some tips please!

Al Black

Al Black

New Member
Hi folks, as usual with me, virtual beer and pizza for any contributions to the thread (okay, virtual beer and pizza don't taste very much of anything but they don't make you fat or give you a hangover!).

I sail a 1981 Laser, sail number 86727, set up with classic rig.

I have a few questions/queries which I hope can be cleared up by those more experienced than me!

Is it class legal to replace the plastic clam cleats with alloy ones (thinking Traveller, Cunningham and Outhaul cleats: all are plastic, all are worn). I'd prefer to replace with alloy for durability.

Next question is probably more open to interpretation/technique etc.

With the classic Kicker/Vang set up, what is the knack for getting (and keeping!) tension on the kicker? The bottom block has a V cleat, but even though I have very long arms I can't get enough of an angle to really secure the rope in the jammer. Any thoughts? (And don't say "go XD"!)

Third (and final question): is it class legal to put a "rope bag" in the cockpit? I hate having line trailing about the cockpit floor and would like to sling a rope bag from the for'ard end of the toe-strap so I can stow the free ends of the painter, Cunningham and kicker lines. I beach launch at my club with no pontoons so I run a very long painter (allows me to run the trolley clear of the tide and keep the boat afloat).

I know that my club has no problems with the mods I mention, just want to know whether I'm treading on the Dark Side or not (and the kicker thing is driving me silly!).

Cheers for any replies,

Al.
 
The cleats are metal nowadays and they last a lot longer than the old plastic ones. Rooster sell these ones http://www.roostersailing.com/merch...de=1&Product_Code=lclam&Category_Code=lhullte which should give you an idea of what you need.

The old style kicker is just technique I'm afraid. I used to struggle to get the thing off once I got it on. Are you using your legs to get enough tension in upwind - that helps loads. Pull the main block2block, cleat the main, put your foot on the mainsheet between boom and deck and push hard, at the same time pull the kicker on.

Wouldn't have thought your kicker and cunningham lines would be long enough to get in the cockpit, mine aren't. No idea what the rules say about a rope bag though. If your club doesn't mind can't see it being a problem though as its not something thats going to make you any faster
 
Two additional comments on the kicker - without spending a lot of money, it's pretty easy to add a couple small blocks and one additional line and increase the power to almost XD levels. This would make the "foot on the mainsheet" un-needed.

Second, you don't mention if you have a swivel on the v-block, but that will help with the cleating of it.
 
Sailorchick said:
The cleats are metal nowadays and they last a lot longer than the old plastic ones. Rooster sell these ones http://www.roostersailing.com/merch...de=1&Product_Code=lclam&Category_Code=lhullte which should give you an idea of what you need.

The old style kicker is just technique I'm afraid. I used to struggle to get the thing off once I got it on. Are you using your legs to get enough tension in upwind - that helps loads. Pull the main block2block, cleat the main, put your foot on the mainsheet between boom and deck and push hard, at the same time pull the kicker on.

Wouldn't have thought your kicker and cunningham lines would be long enough to get in the cockpit, mine aren't. No idea what the rules say about a rope bag though. If your club doesn't mind can't see it being a problem though as its not something thats going to make you any faster
Click to expand...

Cheers for that! I'll definitely be replacing the various clam cleats, the current ones are the originals, I think, and are therefore vintage 1981 :eek: (except for the outhaul cleat, it's a fairly new boom).

One thing I can't do is cleat the main, I much prefer to have the mainsheet uncleated (reduces chance of it accidentally cleating on when I'm trying to dump the sheet during a "Muppet Moment").

I've replaced the kicker line, the old one had quite a hard smooth outer layer and seemed to slip very easily, I found a piece of line the right length with a much softer outer and it holds a lot better.

One thing I was considering was rigging the kicker the wrong way round (so line doesn't come out through the V) and putting http://www.lasersailing.com/shop/uks/product/67 on the deck for both cunningham and kicker lines.

Thanks for the comments,

Al.
 
Al Black said:
With the classic Kicker/Vang set up, what is the knack for getting (and keeping!) tension on the kicker? The bottom block has a V cleat, but even though I have very long arms I can't get enough of an angle to really secure the rope in the jammer. Any thoughts? (And don't say "go XD"!)
Click to expand...


Al,

Set up the kicker with some version of the 8:1 macrame job, if you haven't already. I use the old-style vang, and have experimented with several different line materials. It works quite well if you use a high-performance single braid-- i.e. no cover. It jams well in the V cleat, doesn't ever slip, and is relatively easily adjustable. Plus it lasts for just about forever. I've been using the same length of 3/16" spectra for over two years now. Oh, and scientific studies have demonstrated that pink is 2.7% faster than other colors.

--sean
 
One thing I can't do is cleat the main, I much prefer to have the mainsheet uncleated (reduces chance of it accidentally cleating on when I'm trying to dump the sheet during a "Muppet Moment").

Don't sail with it cleated, its purely for getting the kicker on tight enough then you uncleat and sail normally.
 
Sailorchick said:
One thing I can't do is cleat the main, I much prefer to have the mainsheet uncleated (reduces chance of it accidentally cleating on when I'm trying to dump the sheet during a "Muppet Moment").

Don't sail with it cleated, its purely for getting the kicker on tight enough then you uncleat and sail normally.
Click to expand...

I got caught out when sailing a Topaz which had cam cleats mounted on a swivel attached to the mainsheet block. I tried to sheet out in a hurry, the line ran into the cleat & held: SPLASH!

So now I don't trust mainsheet cleats! :D

Al.
 
Wouldn't have thought your kicker and cunningham lines would be long enough to get in the cockpit, mine aren't. No idea what the rules say about a rope bag though. If your club doesn't mind can't see it being a problem though as its not something thats going to make you any faster[/quote]

Protest!!! Unless you buy me beer. :p
 
raymie said:
Wouldn't have thought your kicker and cunningham lines would be long enough to get in the cockpit, mine aren't. No idea what the rules say about a rope bag though. If your club doesn't mind can't see it being a problem though as its not something thats going to make you any faster
Click to expand...

Protest!!! Unless you buy me beer. :p[/quote]

So, you're protesting my finishing last? And anyway, you didn't come upstairs for a beer!

Protest away, it can only help my placings (9th out of 8 tonight)!

:D

Al.
 
So, you're protesting my finishing last? And anyway, you didn't come upstairs for a beer!

Protest away, it can only help my placings (9th out of 8 tonight)!

:D

Al.[/quote]

At least you kept it the right way up! :rolleyes: R.
 
Al Black said:
Aye, see they mainsheets cleats I mentioned earlier? The problem with dumping the mainsheet in a hurry?

Now you see why I don't want one?

:p

Al.
Click to expand...

Well, if i hadnt (as you call it) had "a muppet moment" and held on to the mainsheet like you are supposed to when you tack instead of being lazy, it wouldnt have happened. But after all we are laser sailers and we are by nature, unpredictable!!? :eek:

P.S. was trying to drop you a pm to arrange some more mayhem but dont know how to pm.:confused: R.
 
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