Traveller always tight?

dave101

New Member
For Lasers there seems to be this obsession of having the traveller tight. This makes sense in strong winds as you want the boom out and sail flat. But in light winds if you loosen off the traveller you can bring the boom in and point higher?
 
Having the boom on the centreline works for two sail boats, but not for cat rigged boats like the Laser. You need the boom to be at the transom corner to get the sail driving in the right direction, hence the tight traveller.
 
Further to TonyBs comment, have you come from two sail boats. I did and my mantra for Laser tuning is
Rule 1. Forget everything you have learnt about sail tuning.
Rule 2. No really, forget everything.

Traveller tight at all times.
 
Further to TonyBs comment, have you come from two sail boats.

I have been sailing a Streaker which is similar to a Laser, but with a stayed rig. For this boat it is recommended to have the traveller loose in light winds. Maybe it is to do with the difference between stayed/unstayed rigs
 
I think that it has something to do with bending the mast. When you sheet in to block to block you tighten the sail through the leach resulting in mast bend. if you let the sheet relax the mast pops up and you get a different sail shape.

an interesting video on trimming the sail of a Byte dinghy with comments on the Laser from Ian Bruce, one of the designers of the Laser.

goto the links on the right of the page and click on *Technical*.
http://www.byteclass.org/

Also, I have noticed that the mast pocket is oval in shape so I think that there is a built-in *auto* mast-rake. when you let the sheet out and the cunningham off the mast is allowed to rock forwards in the pocket giving a few degrees of rake -- maybe some expert could verify this for me!!
 
Interesting ...

I just watched the videos again on the Byte Class site and Ian gives some insight on the Laser dagger board in heavy air.

check it out in video #8

Does anybody else raise the board when beating to windward in a breeze?
 

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