Full rig to radial rig in 2ft!!

macwas16

New Member
ok this is really just a random tip but what the heck. anyway if you want to turn your full rig to a radial rig without buying a new bottom section just cut off 2ft. from the botttom section. well i did it anyway and it works fine for me. just don't know if it is legal or not. and well, i guess you can't say that much for the sail.but it works!!
 
i think that works just for messing around, but i heard that the radial bottom section was moreflexible, letting us curve the mast more.. this would make sense seeing as the 4.7 bottom section is precurved... so the cutting 2 feet off works but isn't as fast, b/c makes it harder to get the right sail shape. i think....

kendall
175045
 
[quote:f90450bfaa="pleon5045"]i think that works just for messing around, but i heard that the radial bottom section was moreflexible, letting us curve the mast more.. this would make sense seeing as the 4.7 bottom section is precurved... so the cutting 2 feet off works but isn't as fast, b/c makes it harder to get the right sail shape. i think....

kendall
175045[/quote:f90450bfaa]

Correct, the Radial lower section is a much thinner walled section and bends more. The radial sail has more luff curve down low as well, so it works best for lighter sailors with the more flexible lower. You can sail with the cut down regular section, but the sail does not de-power as well. It is not class legal either (for the radial class)
 
apart form bein class ILLEGAL this is a stupid idea for racing
the whole beauty of the radial is the bendy mast
 
Leaving aside the general "sillyness" of the idea, if you look hard, you can find certain very special, non-racing situations where using a cut-off standard rig bottom section may actually make sense for using a Radial sail.

Such is the case for anyone who wants to sail in huge winds while he/she weighs upwards of 170 lb. If you want to use a shortened sail, the Radial sail surely offers the best sail shape. But the bendy Radial lower mast, which is permanently damaged even by lightweights, would absolutely be destroy it in heavy winds by a heavy weight sailor.

So, here is a very recent post on the "Laser Mailing List", by chance on the same subject, from Fred Schroth, a.k.a. "Keeldude", the previous Executive Secretary of ILCA NA, the last North American Measurer, the best J24 and J24 keel modifier in North America, and the loudest mouth on the List:

http://www.laser.org/archives/2001/msg04611.html


Fred, not a member of this Forum, is a reliable source for Laser repairs and experimentations.

To see the post that prompted Fred's reply, just change the message number with one lower one in the URL above. The author of that piece is Mr. Dennis Olson, a poet and a photographer who regularly shows the world the finer spiritual and awe inspiring aspects aspects of Laser sailing with his lens and pen. (He is the eye behind the famous shot of the Laser catapulting vertically into the waves in a deathroll - published in the "Laser Artistry" section of the drLaser web site. )

Shevy Gunter
 
Hey Shevy where can I get a hold of that death roll pic?

Seth
 

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