I think the answer is if you already have a Laser, it's still a Laser. It just has the same design as the Kirby Torch and can race in Kirby Torch class races if/when they happen.
When you raise the centerboard completely, you don't have much steering ability. You're pretty much at the mercy of the waves and wind at that point. I don't raise the centerboard all the way in heavy winds when approaching the shore, but I do take it up most of the way (75%). If the wind and...
I would never sail after sundown on Lake Huron (where I sail). It's heavily trafficked and the conditions can change rapidly. I would also worry about any navigation lights I have onboard not getting enough clearance from the water to be noticed by other vessels. If there's any chop, anything...
I launch from the beach on Lake Huron all the time since that's where I keep my boat. It's not an ocean, but the waves can certainly be ocean-like when the wind is right. Anyway, I never run the boat all the way in. I usually have the daggerboard up about half way to make sure I don't snag a...
I saw some of the recent postings on this subject over at Sailing Anarchy indicated that people were starting to have some luck with getting parts directly from Laser Performance recently. It sounded like they finally started getting some stock again. It couldn't hurt to check...
I think it will be difficult to do an experiment due to variable weather conditions. You won't be able to hold everything beside what you're trying to test constant. Unless you're indoors, there are too many variables. Maybe you should think about testing a component of the boat instead of...
If you've got shoulder-height waves crashing on the beach, I would also not recommend launching. I've launched in about waist-height surf on Lake Huron (9' waves out on the lake) and it's doable with a second person. I've never had too much trouble with rolling in these conditions because the...
I launch from and land on shore all the time, but I'm on Lake Huron. We have a dolly, which is where I do all the rigging and de-rigging. It's pretty difficult for one person to handle getting it in and out alone with the dolly (mainly due to wind and waves...which are the conditions when I...
I have the clew sleeve and it's exceptionally easy to rig and adjust. I also like that it keeps the sail pretty snug to the boom. It's pretty pricey for what it is, but I think it was a good purchase. It has yet to come unhooked by itself while I'm sailing/capsizing/turtling :)
It's very difficult to adjust the vang or the outhaul with a standard rig, so you'll probably want to look into upgrading your hardware if you want to be able to make adjustments while racing. I don't race, so I've kept the standard rig on mine for simplicity's sake.
I'm sure it was plenty stable, but I'm talking about slipping off due to the smooth surface, wetness, temperature, and panic. I wouldn't stand on it as I froze my *** off waiting for a rescue to watching a sunset, for sure. He claimed to be hypothermic...
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