Help with Correct sail or mast

B

bucket

New Member
:) Hello,

I recently purchased a Laser and need to purchase some parts.

The boat came with a brand new Radial Sail but I think I have the wrong mast parts,

Currently, I have the following mast parts with the following dimensions:

-top mast 9'
-bottom mast 9'4"
-total length when connected 17'7"

The radial sail is approximately 4" too long. Also, top mast also has an eyelet and outhaul at the top, I can't seem to find this in any drawings. What would this be for

Would would the correct mast half to replace? Any recomendations?

Also, is the boom vang considered essential equipment on the boat or a "nice to have item". (This is for me & the kids-not for racing )


Thanks,

Chris

 
It looks to me like you have a very early "M" rig, or something home made to simulate one. You can do some searches on M rig, to get the history.

Your mast bottom is a full rig bottom. Your mast top is the custom piece, as a standard top for full and radial is about 11' 8". The eye on top was for a halyard, and isn't needed for the new sail, assumint it has a loop at the top. Specs here:

http://www.laserinternational.org/rules/ilcarule.htm

You'll have to buy both a top and a radial bottom, to be legal and to get a good efficient design.

Or extend the top section by 4-5 inches with something, preferable metal, but a wood plug would work. It would be a crude patch job at best, but cheap. Many clubs might have some broken tops lying around, and the remaining piece could be used to make a top 5 inches longer than yours. (a broken top is usually 10' 8" or so.)

A full mast bottom, and a shorter than stock top will be fine for the kids to knock around with, and for screaming reaches, etc. It won't bend properly to flatten the sail well, thus a beat to windward in 15 kts+ will be compromised, and maybe inpossible above 20.

Run a wanted ad, stating your location, and you'll probably get offered a broken top for 10-20 bucks. (they are too long to ship by UPS.) If you're near VT, email me.

Al
 
bucket said:
:) Hello,
---snip---

Also, is the boom vang considered essential equipment on the boat or a "nice to have item". (This is for me & the kids-not for racing )

Thanks,
Chris
Click to expand...



The vang's main purpose is sail shape control, but it also serves a second purpose of making sure the boom doesn't disconnect from the mast at the gooseneck (important in capsizes or when stuck in irons with the sail luffing).

I can't think of any conditions where I wouldn't want the vang installed, (It doesn't need to be adjusted that much when learning, but that's when the prevention of the disconnect comes into play)
 
Without a vang at all, the boom can fly up pretty amazingly high when you're sailing off the wind, making the boat harder to control.

If I were sailing in non-drifting conditions, I'd want to have one.

Here, the upgraded rigging really helps you out though. There are MANY old-style vangs out there that have been made completely obsolete by the new components. Put a wanted ad on this site for one and someone ought to offer you one for really cheap.
 
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