Media first time sailing my laser

markhamlin

markhamlin

New Member
I just bought a used Laser, and I got my parents to take some pics. I bought it from a university, and they're looking for a Radial rig for me, so right now I'm using a full rig, which today proved to be too much. I capsized after getting the mainsheet caught over the transom on a gybe, but had the boat up in 2 seconds.

The Pics:
http://markhamlin.net/~mark/Lazah/Lazah.html
 
Well done for getting out there. You probably need to drop the mainsheet a bit more to de-power through the gusts. Also - tighten your vang, cunnigham and outhaul. You will most likely still be overpowered with a radial as well. A quick tug on your mainsheet as you gybe will help prevent it from snagging. It's all part of the fun of learning to sail a Laser well - there is lot's of info on this forum to help you.
 
I noticed in most of the pictures that your vang and cunningham were both slack. If you're overpowered like that, pull the mainsheet all the way in (block-to-block) and take in all the slack on the vang. Then, if you're still overpowered, take in on the cunningham and outhaul. A good outhaul rule of thumb is a hang-ten sign's width between the sail and the boom at the deepest point.
 
First thing, get a clew tie down!! You are missing a strap or piece of rope tied around the boom that holds the clue of the sail on the boom, it is a neccesary piece of equipment. Second, tighten up your cunningham, if you are getting overpowered, then tighten up the cunningham till the boat is flat, also tighten up your vang. Last, HIKE HARDER!!! Your torso should be parralel with the water as it will give you the most righting moment, you should also be hiking with your tippy toes on the hiking strap instead of having your ankles on the hiking strap, you should also try and keep your legs straight as possible. You don't want to be poop hiking with really bent knees as that won't keep the boat as flat. Remember for laser sailing, "Flat is fast" Good luck and listen to what people have to say.

Tim Clark
 
Yeah, I was having trouble hiking with good form because i was being way overpowered, and I couldn't' keep it steady enough to get all the way hiked out. I went out again today, and did a little better. I'm hoping I'll find the balance once I get a radial, but because the main has to luff, I'm finding that it's giving very inconsistent power.
 
The thing is, you have to become comfortable hiking even when the boat is heeling and heeling all over the place. You should be hiking as hard as possible when you start heeling like in the pictures. You have to remember to tighten the cunningham all the way down to the boom, tighten up the outhaul so there is about the distance of one "surfs up" sign from the centerline of the boom to the foot of the sail at the deepest. Also, get down to two-blocked then tighten up your vang from there, it will make it easier. You should be able to hold the boat flatter in the wind you are sailing in and not have the sail luffing.

My friend weighs in at around 130 and is like 5 foot 6 inches and could keep his boat flat in 17+ knots of breeze because he was depowering the rig well.
 
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