Class Politics "Outhaul Clam Cleat Remote Release Kit"

drLaser

Member
In relation to the old-style, boom-cleated outhauls, I had written (in a post on the "Laser Sailing" bulletin board of this forum):
> ... to UNCLEAT the outhaul control line from the clam cleat
> REMOTELY, from the deck.

Here's exactly the basis of what I had in mind and why I have been asking about various rules lately: http://www.drLaser.org/images/parts/RemoteRelease.jpg


You'll need to use your imagination. Assume the block shown does not flop over to one side, and the 2nd control line (blue release line) does not jump the sheave of the block.

There are various ways of achieving all of this, including simply duct taping or using a special, CUSTOM shackle (the latter approach offering a much more elegant and commercially profitable solution). Ludwig has been searching for appropriate stock shackles. I don't know if he has found anything. I have not.


How does it work? While keeping the primary control line (red) taut, you pull on the release line. The ball stopper slides aft around the control line, climbs on top of the clam cleat, and pulls the control line off the jaws of the clam. On the Laser, the deck mainsheet cleats offer a convenient third hand for keeping the primary line taut in this process.

After slacking the outhaul line as much as desired, plus a few inches more, you start hauling in the primary control line. The minimal contact ("friction") of the control line on the ball's hole pulls the ball stopper forwards along the top of the clam cleat. The ball falls off the clamcleat, and the control line is automatically cleated when you release it.

I think this offers a useful tool for all of those thousands who still use boom-cleated outhauls (whether deck led or not). It would make them more competitive with Laserites using the great new deck-cleated systems. It is affordable. It would make Laser racing more equal for the rich and the poor, and enhance the "one-design" claim of the boat. It is also relevant for all boat designs with boom-cleated outhauls.

Of course, this gizmo requires bending some of our Class Rules and clarifying the ambiguities in some others (as noted on this forum earlier).

In particular, what stands in the way of this innovation is the ambiguity in the wording of the rule that allows "attaching" a line to a block using a ball, plus the rule about "attaching" two control lines together -- both questioned in this bulletin board previously.

(I'll put up on the drLaser web site a better designed version of this gizmo showing my custom shackle.)

A CUSTOM shackle?????? Owned only by Shevy?

Of course!

Why not?

Didn't you know that the Laser is now an experimental boat with respect to optional parts?

As long as ILCA does not define what a "supllier" is, it will remain one.

I've been warning against this since 1999.

Shevy Gunter
Member, ILCA-NA
 
Hi,

I agree with the "experimental class" comments, and have watched the J24's (who forgot to have a Fundamental Rule!) turn into a custom boat contest. It's inevitable since it's human nature to be "tool users".

As mentioned elsewhere, I'll repeat for casual readers, I use 4:1 outhaul and boom cleat, but will have 6:1 this summer, and may lead the tail thru the c-ham eye to the deck. Also mentioned elsewhere, I'm usually easing the outhaul when I'm not fully hiked, or can sneak in. Low loads on the cleat make it quite easy and fast, but it's unreachable on a full hike reach.

But I have built and tried a similar idea to Shevy's using bungee only. Combined with Shevy's "overease, then trim back" ideas, might actually work on the water. I tied a loop thru the boom cleat bridge, then a prussik knot around the line, to creat a similar action. It didn't exactly work, but combined with a ball, to secure the knot on the end of the cleat, it might?

If it worked, it might reduce some of the potential rule conflicts, so I thought I'd pass it along.

Al Russell 66451
 
> I tied a loop thru the boom cleat bridge,

With a separate line?
How large a loop?

> then a prussik knot around the line

Around which line? Tied using which line?

> but combined with a ball, to secure the knot on the end of the cleat...

to secure the prussik knot???

Thanks, Al!

Shevy
 
hav you tryed it? the problems i can see are 1) the ball could snap/shatter with the cleat. 2) it would take 2 hands... 1 to hold the ball over the jaws and the other to ease the outhaul.... thats about it. very nice idea.
 
Iain, i only used a ball from a deo-roller-stick for this recreational outhaul system (because I couldn´t get the ball like that at the pic from Shevy) and a so called "fork end" (instead of the block+shakle) that i also used as the screw for the front wole of the camcleat. Cost: nearly nothing (the old forkend i had from my sailing as bowmen). Also this hollow deo-ball did not break. :) I needed one hand for open/close the outhaul. Now I´ve the new (drLaser-)systems for Cuningham and Outhaul ( "Fig. 2´"-system).
Ciao
LooserLu
 

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