Class Politics Deck Grips

Paraic

Member
Lately I've found myself having a little slide on the small part of the gunnel running around the boat thats not gripped like the majority of the decking, only in certain conditions but its starting to frustrate me.

I dont have the problem with my regular hikers as the surface of the pads has a nice grippy rubber covering, buy when Im wearing a drysuit (cold weather here in Ireland gets to me!) I have to wear a cheaper pair of hikers which fix around the waist and 2 straps around each leg, these have absolutely no grip what so ever. I've tried sex wax but it looks absolutely disgusting after your finished a days sailing and its impossible to get off the hikers.

Is it against class rules to use somehting like these: http://www.boatbits.co.nz/shop/Chandlery/General/Deck+tread,+Carpet,+matting/3m+Safety+Walk.html

Im going to assume seeing as i dont think i've ever seen a laser with anything on the deck that there is another stupidly out dated rule to say you cant put 10euro's worth of grip on your deck to hold your ass in place!
 
ISAF Laser Class Rules said:
No addition or alteration may be made to the hull
form, construction, equipment, type of equipment,
placing of equipment, fittings, type of fittings, placing
of fittings, spars, sail and battens as supplied by the
builder except when such an alteration or change
is specifically authorised by Parts 2 or 3 of these

Rules.


I guess thats a no then... may find tape that easily removed for the summer then, i'll just use it for club racing in the winter months!

Pulled that info from here (http://www.sailing.org/tools/documents/LAS2008CR040208-[6294].pdf) if anyone needs it
 
If this is only a problem with the hikers you have to wear with your dry suit do you really want to do something to the boat that's there year round? What about sewing some of the more rubbery type non-skid to your cheap hikers? Then it'll be wherever your butt is. Or if the strap-on hikers are really cheap, see if running some beads of 5200 on it will do the trick. If you don't want to do that to the hikers, maybe you can get an extra large pair of shorts to over the hiker and your drysuit to put the 5200 on. Experiment a little with some large enough shorts or something from your local thrift shop and you will find something with enough grip to do the job without modification.

Even if adding non-skid tape to the deck was allowed in the class rules it might not be your best solution (and I'm not certain it is actually prohibited since we're talking about the deck which seems to me distinct from the "hull form" and how is non-skid tape that fundamentally different from using other tape to attached sailing instructions, power bars, water bottles etc. to the deck and cockpit?).

Also, that 3-m tape might not even stick well enough to the non-skid section of the deck which leaves only the smooth, curved edge of the rail. In my limited experience with trapeze boats and such that stuff doesn't always stay put, especially on the curved rail where it constantly gets dipped in the water. All you need to do is catch an edge and it starts to come up.
 
There is a ' clear acrylic spraycan grip' stuff that is good for re-finishing sailboard deck grip (clear so graphics an colour not changed) and (grip but not so rough as to take your skin off)

Can buy it at Bunnings harware in OZ (Sure tread clear anti Slip textured coating) made byK&H Surface technologies www.khst.com.au

Must be a local equivalent - eirther that or mix up some 'repair gelcoat' and ad some sugar or fine fiverglass dust to texture. Cant' see how a repair in a dusty place could be class illegal
 
I wouldn't put anything on the gunwhale because it is likely to tear up your hikers. Im using the zhik hikers and have no problems.

One solution could be your toestrap, there should be equal pressure on your calves and thighs. If you have this you should be "locked in" to the deck and won't really be sliding much.
 
I wouldn't put anything on the gunwhale because it is likely to tear up your hikers. Im using the zhik hikers and have no problems.

When I used to sail a Fireball we painted the gunwale wit varnish and sand mixed together (so ones boots had a really decent grip when trapezing). It worked well (non slip wise) but I used to get through wet suit bums very quickly.

Ian
 
You've answered your own question. It's illegal. The spray on grip would cause the technical committee to think carefully, I'm nt willing to comment further.
 
Grab a class measurer. Glue him / her to your deck. Sit on said measurer. Most are sorta lumpy but soft. This will work fine until you need to tack.
 

Back
Top