1970s official laser compass

Toddjamin

New Member
Picked up this fantastic bit of history when I purchased a 1980 boat from its original owner a couple of weeks ago. Seems to never have been used! All the original fittings in the box.

Was thinking about using it, but it would require modification, due to modern controls, so before I do that, I wanted to check I didn’t have something mega rare that was of interest to anyone?


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Interesting. Looks perfectly usable. Need to see more (and much brighter) pictures from different angles though to evaluate how to lead the cunningham and outhaul lines. Probably requires some kind of elevation between it and a "spider" plate.

As for the rarity, I can say I've been involved in the class since 1987, and never seen anything like that. I don't know if that counts for "mega" :rolleyes:

Where's the "heading recorder" and how does it work?

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The heading recorder is just a 3 digit scroller which I think would be out of class rules now, but they can be removed with a clip. It could either be put on a spider plate or use the fittings provided which drill into the deck and it pivots on, but it would need the Cunningham hole widening to take the outhaul too on a modern rigged boat. It’s definitely useable tho, is in perfect condition. I like the trophy idea though.

here’s some more shots…
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These compasses were supplied as standard on the boats provided for the 1980 laser Worlds In Kingston, Canada (with 350 competitors!).

I think the compasses for those Worlds were actually screwed into the decks .

But most people made up a plywood or aluminium plate to screw/bolt their compass to, which fitted over the cunningham eye and cunningham cleat and was held in by the cunningham rope and then the compass could be removed from the boat when not in use.

i don't think these compasses are that rare. They come up on Ebay occasionally. I bought one from there a few years back for only £13.00 and I so don't think they have much rarity/"collectability" value.

The photos are from the 1980 Worlds.
 

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Oh, they're quite a bit bigger than what the first picture indicated! Raising that even more (to make room for two control lines) would make it even more massive, so maybe making two new holes next to the original cunningham "tunnel" isn't a bad idea... if it's no collector's item anyway.

most people made up a plywood or aluminium plate to screw/bolt their compass to, which fitted over the cunningham eye and cunningham cleat and was held in by the cunningham rope and then the compass could be removed from the boat when not in use.
The mounting holes look like they'd fit directly into some kind of quick-release fittings, don't they?

The heading recorder is just a 3 digit scroller which I think would be out of class rules now
Checked that and it's still fine with the current rules. And simple and pretty smart really. Why wasn't this sort of thing used ever again?

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so it comes with little T shaped lug things that screw into the deck and then they clip into each of the mounting holes.

as for the tunnel, i was just going to cut it wider with a junior hacksaw or something. you can unscrew the top from the bottom to make it easier.

Rules wise i thought it would fall foul of 22.4 - A compass or timing device must not be capable of displaying, delivering, transmitting,
receiving, calculating, correlating or storing information about wind speed, wind direction, boat
speed or boat position.

But the box does say it is class legal, even if that is from 1980 :D
 
These compasses were supplied as standard on the boats provided for the 1980 laser Worlds In Kingston, Canada (with 350 competitors!).

I think the compasses for those Worlds were actually screwed into the decks .

But most people made up a plywood or aluminium plate to screw/bolt their compass to, which fitted over the cunningham eye and cunningham cleat and was held in by the cunningham rope and then the compass could be removed from the boat when not in use.

i don't think these compasses are that rare. They come up on Ebay occasionally. I bought one from there a few years back for only £13.00 and I so don't think they have much rarity/"collectability" value.

The photos are from the 1980 Worlds.
Thanks so much for this info Horizon, perhaps I'll just get it on the water then :)

love the old shots from the worlds. These compasses have T shaped fittings screwed into the deck, that you then place the compass over and twist to lock down. You can see the screw template on the box that you cut out and use.
 
i thought it would fall foul of 22.4 - A compass or timing device must not be capable of displaying, delivering, transmitting,
receiving, calculating, correlating or storing information about wind speed, wind direction, boat
speed or boat position.
Mmm... ok, if you point head-to-wind, read the compass, and then click that number on the "recorder", you are technically storing and displaying the wind direction... But I still think it's a stretch to call that a rule breach. I believe the current rule was written specifically with electronic devices in mind.

as for the tunnel, i was just going to cut it wider with a junior hacksaw or something.
What's the (outer) diameter of the tunnel? If that's less than the distance between the control lines (45 mm maybe), then there's no point in touching it. Less work as well. (Looks like it's a structural element, too.)

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Mmm... ok, if you point head-to-wind, read the compass, and then click that number on the "recorder", you are technically storing and displaying the wind direction... But I still think it's a stretch to call that a rule breach. I believe the current rule was written specifically with electronic devices in mind.

What's the (outer) diameter of the tunnel? If that's less than the distance between the control lines (45 mm maybe), then there's no point in touching it. Less work as well. (Looks like it's a structural element, too.)

_

agreed on the spirit of the rule, not much different from a chinagraph pencil on the deck! the current tunnel is only 10mm wide, certainly not wide enough. appears sturdy enough even without that element.
 

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