Go-Fast Tips for the Laser Radial

M

macwas16

New Member
These "Go-Fast Tips for the Laser Radial" below have come directly from US Sailing's Junior Sailor Spring 2003 edition. I though some were interesting and were worthy of a posting here on TLF! Enjoy...

"- All events using supplied Radial sails will use Mark VI Radial sails. This sail needs a bit more mainsheet tension then the Mark V sail, and less cunningham. You should be two-blocking the Mark VI main as soon as you're fully hiked.

-Spectra traveler lines need break in time to get rid of initial stretch. As soon as you get your boat, install your traveler and pull it as tight as you can. Regularly pull more traveler tension, and as soon as you have sailed a full beat with a new traveler line, it should be all set.

-New boats come with new line, and new line hurts. Take two passes over your mainsheet with 600-grit sandpapre. Wear gloves while sailing.

-Mark your mainsheet where the boom is 90-degrees to the boat's centerline. Letting your sail out too far on the run is deadly slow.

-Train for conditions you least expect. -D.K"
 
I have to protest at the "letting you boom too far out on a run is slow". I agree with marking the sheet as this is useful for trimming but if you want to go fast downwind in the laser, see my posts on sailing "by the lee." IMHO you need to be able to let the boom out as far as 20-30º past 90º!!
 
Yes, and i would agree to that, except since this magazine is directed towrds "junior" sailor, and many do not know what sailing "by the lee" is, I believe they were not taking sailing "by the lee" into account. However, it wouldn't be a bad idea to pursue this and who knows, maybe next issue they will have an article teaching sailing "by the lee!"
 
If you want to improve your speed, set a repeating timer to beep every 20s and sail upwind, tacking everytime it beeps. Gradually decrease the time interval until you double tacking all the upwind. Do the same downwind.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top