Laero?

[Andy B]

Could I make a Laero by putting an Aero 7 rig on a Laser?
Would it sail properly and be correctly balanced?
Or should I just buy an ARC2 as I will be too old to sail by the time the C rigs are available?

 

[Eddie_E]

Just buy an Intensity fathead sail if you need more power. The Aero rig is big money and designed for a front traveler setup with internal lines. I feel the Aero hull is a bigger improvement over the sail plan. I can pick up an Aero hull with one hand.

 

[jmp]

You can buy the C Rigs now apparently, I've not measured my Aero's mast step depth to compare it to my Laser's, but I reckon it might work... I should rig it up and see

 

[Andy B]

I feel the Aero hull is a bigger improvement over the sail plan.

I take a different view, it is the rig which is the Aero's strength and the hull which lets it down.

I don't need power I am looking for control and I have found the Aero rig ticks all the boxes without super human effort, I love it. The ARC2 rig is just the same but with a lower boom and a mast sleeve which is a complete pain as you try to thread the mast into the sleeve on a Mylar sail in a muddy UK dinghy park. I am looking forward to racing with the ARC2 when we are back sailing.

What I do not like about the Aero hull is the difficulty of getting back over the side if you cannot get any pressure in the sail, the hiking position made my knees sore after a two day regatta, and the fragility of the hull, a youth who was downwind on the start line backed his sail and sculled so he moved up the line (illegal I know you can only hold station but he did it with ease) gently tapped his gunnel against mine and took quite a large chip out of the gunnel on my charter boat, on a Laser there would not even have been a mark. We have also had one Aero written off after a cat pierced the hull and it was deemed a write off.

 

[Eddie_E]

Good to know about the hiking position making people stiff. I only have 1 hour in an Aero and the wind was only 12~14 mph, which isn't much hiking at my weight. My only complaint was the cockpit area was to small and less stable at slow speeds leaving the beach compared to my Laser. Once in clean air, I liked it.

 

[jmp]

I find my aero way more comfortable to hike in compared to my laser, much more enjoyable boat to sail and way easier on the legs/knees

 

[Andy B]

I find my aero way more comfortable to hike in compared to my laser

Initially I found exactly the same thing, much more comfortable than a Laser for a club race, it was only the regatta experience which stressed the knees/legs. It could have been poor adjustment of the hiking strap or the long downwind runs on my knees in the centre of the boat.