Mainsheet block cam-cleat - legal or not?

1

149834

New Member
Hi, I'm new to Laser sailing, but used to race Moths. In my moth I found a mainsheet centre-mounted cam cleat on the block great for the long pull-in after rounding the leeward mark, and when you're changing sides when tacking. Tillman and Powlison's book "The New Laser Sailing" (1983) mentions it in the tacking section, but my local Laser shop says the only mainsheet cam cleats allowed are the side deck ones. Who's right, and if it's legal, where can I get one? Many thanks
 
Thanks for the reply. Page 19 of "The New Laser Sailing" says "If your Laser has the optional center-mounted cam cleat, tacking can be simplified somewhat by cleating the sail during the tack" (my bold emphasis). I've asked a few Laser sailors and none are aware of this option. Can anyone clear it up for me?
 
The type of block and any internal or external jamming devices are optional so you can have a swivelly cleat on there, I would personally rather have a hole in the head, it always jams when you don't want it to!
 
The answer is yes, you can have a mainsheet block with a cleat.

From the ILCA website:

2007 Class Rules - One Design

Part Two

3. Control Systems, Control Lines and Fittings
iii. The mainsheet block may be replaced by any type of single block with or without an internal or attached jamming device, and mounted in the position shown on the measurement diagram. The block may be supported by a spring, ball, plastic tube or tape.
 
That answers it definitively. Many thanks. Now I'll just have to work out how to uncleat it mighty quick when I'm too slow hiking out on the new tack!
 
149834 said:
That answers it definitively. Many thanks. Now I'll just have to work out how to uncleat it mighty quick when I'm too slow hiking out on the new tack!
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Yeah this is the more practical problem than legality. Jamming the mainsheet might be ok on a light day with you close hauled on a single tack to windward over a long distance e.g. not racing. But as soon as hiking weather begins, jamming the sheet is the last thing you want. You'll find that out pretty soon. (Happy swimming!:D ) A cleat may also encourage the helmsman to forget about sail trim and the relationship of balance between sail, sheet and helm.

It may help you to get settled and comfortable in the boat over the short term though.

For a half-way-between-the-two-extremes measure, why not try a ratchet block?
 
Advice noted. I've got a ratchet block, but still find it hard to maintain mainsheet tension while I'm shifting around in the boat, particularly hiking in and out. Also, once I've found the optimal set for the sail on a tack, why not cleat the sheet and leave it there, and alter course towards the windward mark if you get a lift, rather than ease the sheet? After all, once you've found the ideal pointing angle for that wind speed why change it just because the wind direction shifts? Any more thoughts on that?
 
The optimum mainsheet tension rarely remains the same for too long, in waves you have to sheet in and out over waves even if the wind is constant, in light winds you can sheet in during a gust and ease it out when the wind drops, in heavy air the old ease, hike, trim comes into play.
it's only occaisonaly in medium winds in flat water when you are block to block and not overpowered do you not change sheet tension much, even then you are in and out during a tack (pump it in to head up then ease it out when you roll the boat flat before sheeting in again).
Cleats on the side of the cockpit are ok as they are only there when you need them, I find the swivel cleats jam all the time when you don't want them to.
 
The jam cleat on the swiwel block is legal, and was the prefered one in the early days of Laser. l am now going back to it. But it should be angled so that it will NOT jam by itself, you must do a certain action to jam it on purpose. And sailing upwind, is without any jamming device, just use your hands. But the central jaming cleat is one way to help you free one hand to do some other task, for example trim the wang, cunningham or outhaul. l hate those side clams, on deck, because they are an obstruction to sitting far enough forward. Specially for older guys like me (GGM model 1935)
 
The jam cleat on the swiwel block is legal, and was the prefered one in the early days of Laser. l am now going back to it. But it should be angled so that it will NOT jam by itself, you must do a certain action to jam it on purpose. And sailing upwind, is without any jamming device, just use your hands. But the central jaming cleat is one way to help you free one hand to do some other task, for example trim the wang, cunningham or outhaul. l hate those side clams, on deck, because they are an obstruction to sitting far enough forward. Specially for older guys like me (GGM model 1935) who are also to heavy on the wiight scale.....
 
bosco said:
... But the central jaming cleat is one way to help you free one hand to do some other task, for example trim the wang...
Click to expand...


I'm pretty sure that trimming your wang during the race is an illegal action.

Part 4, 53, Skin Friction: A boat shall not eject or release a substance...:D
 
crackmeup.gif


Can a GGM still trim his wang ? That's about the age when ADED sets in anyway, so even if he could, he'd forget why in the first place...
 
When comments from the peanut gallery start flying I know that I've scraped the bottom of the knowledge barrel! Thanks guys, this forum has helped me a lot.
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By trim the wang, l mean adjust it when necessary, not pump it!!
And for *49208, l am proud to be a GGM, to sail my laser in allmost any condition, at the age of 72. And when comming ashore after racing l still have energy to please my girl friend. Just hope you'll do the same.
Bosco, laser 3113, GGM Model 1935.
 
I have seen a couple of boats with a cleat which was mounted upside down on the centre block, and also angled higher than usual, so it is really difficult to accidentally cleat the mainsheet :)
 
Great idea, I'll try it, thanks. That way if you suddenly have to hike out, and have to ease a cleated sheet in a hurry, the quick tug along the now more horizontal line of pull should uncleat it from the upside-down cleats above. Neat! :rolleyes:
 
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