ideal body weight for standard laser per wind condition

tkjazzer

Member
I'm trying to figure out of my girlfriend would be able to handle a full size laser so we can go play in 2 boats.

I know she ideally would do better in a radial, but it triggered the question:

What is the ideal height + weight for a full size laser under various conditions. What about for a radial?

And I don't want to discourage anyone from sailing, since we all have seen "wide loaders" who are master sailors kick tons of butt on the course (at least upwind)...and we've seen light-weighters catch everyone downwind... but I was just wondering for academic curiosity...

I'd like to make a table. Wind Speed in one column, Weight range in another column, and then ideal body height range as comments.

What do you think?
 
If you put her in a laser and tell her "it's ok. According to my height/weight/wind ratio spread sheet you can handle this just fine." Then she spends the next hour swimming and getting pounder by an out of control laser you can kiss the relationship bye, bye.

Let HER tell YOU what SHE is comfortable with and the test sail and relationship will run much smoother.

Of course start in light wind and work her way up.
 
she knows how to sail a laser - sailed in college (but is not a hard core sailor - was a crew [rowing] national team athlete and only sailed the season she had knee surgery) - I'm wondering if she can do racing drills at her weight - that is why I wanted to know ideals.

I know she struggles to keep it flat in real high air, but I wanted to see what people thought for ideal weight.
 
The boat was designed for a 180 lb person. The taller the better. I think for every 1 inch of weight being moved further outboard results in 10 lbs of righting moment.

That said I've seen 160 lb guys, (very good sailors) do ok upwind in 15-20 mph breeze.

I'd say anything under 155 lbs needs to be in a radial if it is over 15 knts of breeze.

I'm sure others will post different opinions, but from your post it sounds like she is quite capable of being a training partner in breeze up to 10-12 knots in the full rig.
 
If she is light get her sailing radial. She won't be that much slower than you in a full rig. You may even find when she gets the hang of it she might be faster than you on occasion.
 
IMHO, do the full rig. Depower it with the controls... She will be able to tell when it's too much and can sail less agressively...
 
Wide loader #1 checking in! :p

Since you've already got a full size rig - just let her go sail it on a few different days with different wind conditions and let her decide if it's too much for her.... or give her 20 pounds of scuba diving weights to put in her pockets ;)
 
---snip---
but I was just wondering for academic curiosity...

I'd like to make a table. Wind Speed in one column, Weight range in another column, and then ideal body height range as comments.

What do you think?

I think body height is always going to stay the same - the longest lever that can fit is best.

Figuring out ideal wt. vs wind is a little harder, are we talking about just upwind, W/L, W/L with reaches etc ?

If it's W/L for example I would think you are looking for a weight that may just be on the verge of overpowered in upwind (ie putting on cunningham and vang)

that might look something like...
WS Weight
3 70?
6 90
9 120
12 140
15 165
18 180
21 190
 
I swear, laser sailors are a more weight-obsessed group than teenage girls reading "Shape" magazine. :mad:

Sail the d**n boat! :cool:
 

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