sk8ingsailor
Member
So While I was practicing for Bacardi today, I thought why not use the awesomeness of a double strap on a laser? Is it legal? I know how to do it, just is it legal...
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Stars dont capsize. Lasers do. Dont know bout you, but i dont like the idea of getting trapped under the boat unable to get my feet out of the straps.
You can assume that when it means hiking strap it means only one. Opti style would therefore be out.
You can't assume, it has to be written in the rules, which it is not.
The general rule of thumb on laser class rules is this. "If it is not stated in the rules then it is NOT allowed."
OK. Let's say it's legal. Why would you want it?
Other than the, (not too often) long heavy air weather leg where you are on one tack for an extended period of time I would see the thing as more of a distraction and added possibility of getting stuck in it at the wrong moment than being an overall advantageous piece of gear.
then your not athletic enough!
Its alot easier to get out than you would think.
IMHO the real benefit would be in quickly shifting, hiking breezes, where you are tacking a lot. It makes getting fully hiked on the new tack faster. It also requires a bit less athleticism/technique then the single strap
Don't worry, I fully understand the Fundamental Laser rule.
But it also does not say you must have a single strap! I says nothing about what kind of strap you can have. All it talks about is the method of attachment and adjustment.
The whole idea is to find a good hiking strap so you can be locked in, it makes working the boat upwind easier.
Actually it does talk about the kind of strap (singular)
17. HIKING STRAP
(a) The hiking strap may be substituted with any type
of non-stretch material and it may be padded....
No where does it say straps (plural)
I'll play devil's advocate on this.
By definition I see the double hiking strap as "one strap". It is a single strap with a single connecting point on both ends, but it has "layers".
IMHO the opti strap is more of a 2 strap system and further from the definition of "single" strap. I say this because it splits and has a strap for each side of the cockpit.
Thats what I thought, just begging the question.
I still think the Star style is a single strap, and I know it can be rigged on a Laser, and work in a similar fashion.