Rig Decision

I

Ian R

New Member
I'm about to buy a Laser and I'd like to make sure I get the right rig. I know that there are quite a few threads on ideal weight already but I can't seem to find a definitive answer to my question. I'm sixteen, 5'10", 150 lb/68 kg, and quite fit. I think that puts me in the ideal weight range for a radial, maybe a little light. I predict that I'll be putting on a bit of weight in the next couple of years. I sail in the Olympic Northwest, and we get a prevailing wind of about 10-13 knots building to 20 and then dying off in the evening. I'm not sure what the winds are for the regatta venues in my area (Bremerton, Seattle, Anacortes, etc., and the Columbia River Gorge where it blows stink all day). So my question is, should I buy a radial and use that until I outgrow it? Or should I buy a full rig assuming I'll grow into it? Will I be overpowered in a radial over 15 knots anyway? One theory I've seen is that if I'm training really hard on a rig that's too powerful, when I grow into it I'll be able to sail with comparative ease.

I'd love to hear your input!
Ian
 
You're tall, and you are fit. At sixteen, you are only going to put on more weight. Normally I would say go ahead and get the full size, but you seem to have a good amount of wind in your area.

If you have the resources I might say get both, and then sell the Radial after you have outgrown it. I just don't see you staying in the Radial for long.
 
Purchase a radial rig and learn how to sail the boat properly. Once you have the skills and a bit more weight, upgrade. Being overpowered is more likely to turn you off the class and encourage you to sail something easier.
 
AlanD, sailing skills or Laser sailing skills? I'm a pretty experienced sailor, though I don't know if that makes a difference in your recommendation. Torrid, I should qualify; those wind estimates are for the summer, during the winter it maxes out at about 8 knots ignoring NEasters I may be too heavy for a radial by winter though anyway.
I had made the decision to buy a radial but I ran across some posts that shook my confidence, so I'm unsure again.

Thank you both!
 
Laser specific skills.

The Laser class is a great leveller, many champion sailors from other classes have come into lasers, only to be made to look very average, something they don't like and often find an easy excuse to sail something else in a smaller fishpond where they don't have the level of competition. If you hop into a radial at this stage, you'll need to sail it well in all conditions to be competitive. If you hop into a full rig, you'll look fantastic for a while in light conditions (until you get to heavy to be competitive), but you'll have a ready excuse for the time being in heavy winds, when you put on the weight you still might not look that good because you haven't developed good technique.

More importantly, sailing is still about having fun, it shouldn't be about getting pounded. I've seen so many young adults give up sailing completely because they are no longer having fun (not just from the rig choice, but the intensity of coaching, expectations etc. Are your friends moving into Lasers, are they going to sail Radials or Full Rigs? Go out there and have fun, if you find you are competitive consider taking it next level when it's the right time, but for most of us there are no cattle ranches on offer and never will be.
 
Okay I think you've convinced me. Unfortunately, the sailing community where I live is pretty small and I'm the only youth sailor in the immediate area, so my friends aren't going to radials or fulls. I'll be picking up my boat next weekend!

Thanks so much for your help!
Ian
 
It's really your preference, You can still be fast in a std, plenty of young guys consistently finish in the top because they have excellent boat handling, are fit and sail the boat hard all around the course,

and you'll almost definitely gain weight by the time you're 18, so a std could be a good choice for you.

Once you choose between rad and std rig, all you need is the lower and a sail to be able to switch rigs.
 
Just discovered two decent standard sails in the sail shed. Enough incentive to buy a full rig? Indecision is a killer
 
Hi Ian,

You got great advises from the forum. My advise: start with the full rig and then buy the radial (bottom mast and good sail). A good sail and the turbo gear are especially important for you to flatten/depower rapidly the sail.

I am 70Kg, 5'8- equivalent to you. I race full rig at the club up to 10knt (average wind), then switch to radial. I race radial in regatta. With full rig I am competitive 5-12 kt, can handle up to 18- then it is survival/swimming; with radial, I am competitive in a mixed fleet at 10-18knt-and can sail up to 22 and then swim. However by 5-10 knt with the radial, I am much slower than the full rigs and it is a bit boring. The big difference between the full/radial sail in big wind is for going upwind: you will need to depower faster and more often than your mates and better anticipate the puffs. Going downwind, I found weight to be less of an effect and it is mostly boat handling skills and playing the waves that makes the difference. For me the great fun in racing Laser is to remain/tack close to my friends/competitors.

Get your boat and enjoy!
 
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