hardware advise

L

laser92719

New Member
My laser has no mainsheet cleats. Are they legal, and must I buy them from Vanguard. I'm assuming they're a must have.

My second time out ever with my new radial rig, I did not get beat up.
Only later did I realize the radial requires battens as well, can I use those from my full rig. How much difference will the battens make, I forget.

I can even see getting a 4.7 rig for when it really really blows, as opposed to hanging on to my full rig, because I now know I'll never be able to join the Newport fleet, though I am a fit 123 lbs. and there are some girls on the fleet, they must weigh considerable more than I do to be able to frostbite here with full rigs.
 
Mainsheet cleats - Most use the smaller Harken or Ronstan cam cleats, you can buy them from anywhere. You don't have to have them, but if your arms aren't very strong, you'll benifit having the cleats

Battens - they are the exact same set that fit in the full rig. Having them in the sail makes a huge difference upwind.

At 123 lbs, your going to be overpowered around 10kts of breeze in the full rig.
Not sure what you mean about joining the Newport fleet, certainly they let Radials mix it up with the full rigs during frostbite season - if they don't, come on down to Cedar Point, we usually have 3-5 radials racing during our series.
 
49208 said:
Mainsheet cleats - Most use the smaller Harken or Ronstan cam cleats, you can buy them from anywhere.
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The location is restricted both by the rules, and by the reinforced area of the deck:
http://www.laserinternational.org/rules/measdiag.htm

Smaller is probably better (they hurt less when you sit on them). I have a small set of Ronstan cleats on my boat, and I've used them going up-wind in way over 20 kn w/o problems.


laser92719 said:
My laser has no mainsheet cleats. [...] I'm assuming they're a must have.
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Many people don't have them (mostly to avoid butt-bruises). I almost never use mine racing (although they *did* come in handy yesterday afternoon when someone threw me a beer as I was sailing in after the race :D )

Cheers,

Geoff S.
 
Now I know how far forward you have to sit I regret fitting main-sheet cleats on my boat. I never use them but always seem to be sitting on them. Even though they are the smallest possible they are a pain in the butt. I have the right colour gel coat so next weekend I am going to remove them a fill the holes.

I have noticed that some of the old lasers at the club have a cleat on the main-sheet block. I might look at something like that for occasional use - if it is still legal.

Phil
 
Philip said:
I have noticed that some of the old lasers at the club have a cleat on the main-sheet block. I might look at something like that for occasional use - if it is still legal.
Click to expand...

I believe it is. A quote from the thread:
http://laserforum.org/showthread.php?t=1281
"Mainsheet rarchet blocks with swiveling bases and cam cleats have been legal for ages. It's the standard 'cruiser rig'" - Shevy Gunther.

Cheers,

Geoff S.
 
My cleats, which are the original that came on my boat (1987) are reasonably flat, and you can hardly feel them when you sit on them. I use the cleats every now and again, I used them a lot when I was learning, but now that i am becoming reasonably confident I tend not to use them in a race. When I was learning how to tack and jybe I used the cleats quite often, as I wasn't comfortable with swapping the mainsheet and tiller behind my back.

The only time I will ever use a cleat now days is when I am having trouble holding the sheet after a long training session, or if the wind absolutely overpowers my arm strength, but at no time will i let go of the sheet, as I want to make sure i can release the sheet in a gust. I'm currently workign on my fitness at the gym, so before long i'll have no longer use for cleats.
 
i suppose that they are handy if you ever need them but when i got my boat they were not on it so i decided not to use them. after a year of sailin the laser i am perfectly fine without them now! ive mananged to hold the sheet in on a 30 knot beat! not sure how flat the boat was tho! i must admit i feather the sail a bit as well on the sea when goin upwind! its prob illegal but none notices! i find it much easier to contrl the sheet so u can control power over the waves! lol and i do have weird way of lockin it if need be! EG lockin under my leg whilst fully hiking.
Tho i am 16 and may be fitter thn sum of u so i dunno!
 
My '79 Laser came with a strange, swiveling mainsheet block/cleat dingus. It was used by the elderly sailor who sold me the boat. If you pulled hard through the block, the mainsheet would automatically be clamped down. It drove me nuts. When I was heeled way out, I could never manage to lean to leeward enough to uncleat the @#$@# mainsheet. I dumped - a lot. So I got rid of it this season and replaced it with a standard Harken block (love it).

The former owner had taken the old hull cleats off the boat. Because of the constantly shifting and gusting winds on my lake, I haven't replaced them. And I probably won't.

I'd recommend trying to sail awhile without the cleats. If you find you miss them, get some. But you might find - like I did - that sailing without them helps you work on your technique. And it's sure helping me build up my spindly, middle-aged arm and shoulder muscles!
 
Yeah, it certainly tests your arm muscles, that's why i've joined a gym... i'm 17 and quite fit, but i've never been involved in sports that involve arm and shoulder muscles. I've got strong legs from cycling and skiing, but nothing in the arms.
You can use other techniques for pulling on sheets aswel, on the Laser you can use your body weight to get those extra inches pulled on, like use your back to lever your weight out pulling on the sheet. When I use to crew on an F.D i'd use my legs to pull the genoa on by pushing myself out on the trap cranking the sheet on at the same time, now that genoa definitely needed cleats.
 
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