new lasers good or bad?

4

43575

New Member
Right now I have a 76 canadin laser which is prettey light and it is in good condtion. I was wondering if the new boats are faster or better in any way?
 
all lasers are mainly the same weight the only way they change weight is if you have water leaking in or you've done repairs. so therefore Rob B's remark about lighter is wrong. stiffer maybe but i know people who have sailied 120 000 series boats and are still at the top of the fleet you really only need a new right if your boat is fine ;)
 
It also depends on the conditions you sail in. If it's always flat water, lighter air, you can be competitive with a soft (deck and/or hull) beater boat. If you sail in chop or heavy air, you want the hull and deck stiff. Age shouldn't matter as long as the boat isn't grossly (more then 5 lbs) overweight and meets the requirements above. I also have a '77 Canadian hull. It's been well used over the years, it not as stiff in the hull and the deck is delam'ing in areas, but it's still light and competitive in flat water. In chop, you can feel the boat twisting and it's a bit spongy going thru the waves compared to the '02 boat


I did spend the $$$ to upgrade the '77 with the new sail controls, thicker rudder bolt, etc to make it functionally the same as the new boat. I also added the sleeve to the old boat's boom when I added the new vang. FWIW, the mast on the old boat was stiffer (until the top section broke a year ago) then the one I got with the '02. I'm heavy so that was a plus for me.
 
I"m only speaking from my personal experience. In 92 I sailed a 76 model boat that was dry w/a new sail, (Hull #8859). I could never break the top 5 in any D12 events. Then in 93 I got a new, (out of the box hull # 148446) boat and was firing bullets all over the place. I also noticed a hugh difference in "feel" for the boat. I think that was related to hull stiffness as I could feel every move I made translate directly to the boat movement in the water. It was WAY faster than my 76 boat.
 
Yeh same thing happened for me i sailed a 24995 laser then got a new one 172256 and you could immedately feel the boat it was instant felt the boat responded to gusts quicker etc etc kinda like uses a carbon tiller for the first time. But a new boat GIVES a HUGE boost in you sailing ability + the metal lift it gives you helps alot too.
 
I sailed in I-lya Jr. Bay week, I did come in top 10, but I noticed that the top 5 boats were all almost new boats. My boat does seem to have a fexable bottem.
 
Seeing as Lasers are a one design class, technically, they should continue to build the boats to exactly the same standards as they've always been. Ovcourse the hulls are going to deteriorate over time, which is what makes them slow. When the hulls are soft they aren't going to ride over the water as well, and if they leak they're going to weigh more than a new hull which will also slow them down a bit.
My hull, althought it's starting to get a bit old, is still stiff and completely water tight. I just have to replace the sail every now and again and it stays fast. I think Tom's got a big point there, it always boosts your mental confidence, and plays with your competition's confidence when you hit the race with a new boat. When I get to a National racing level i reckon i'll get a new boat though.
 
new vanguard boats.... all vanguard boats are "the same weight"... but we all know they are lighter.... weaker. try putting pressure on the weak part of the hull of a new vanguard... and then try it on a sunfish laser... or even an older vanguard (98')... new ones are crap
 
how does hull weight make that much of a difference? If my hull is 5lbs heavier but I am 5lb lighter should the factor be null?
 
Steven said:
how does hull weight make that much of a difference? If my hull is 5lbs heavier but I am 5lb lighter should the factor be null?
Click to expand...

Yes, and no. Its all a question of center of gravity.

5lbs doesn't seem like much, but when hiking it can make a difference. If you can move that 5lbs out 2.5 feet, its working to correct the heel. If the 5lbs is part of the hull, its 5lbs more you're trying to correct with hiking. Also 5lbs is about 4% of the overall hull weight.

Downwind, my guess is that it would be a wash.
 
lightwind sailing will effect you... so ur 5 lbs lighter (btw, lighter then what?)... thats still 5 lbs more then all the other boats. In terms of centre of gravity... try throwing your arm over your head when hiking.... u can feel the difference in heel.

c ya
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top