inlandfreddy
Member
After a weekend, a month ago, with my first laser sailing in the sea, the discussion in the thread "please explain this" and research around that I went down to the lake and played around with the sail settings more than I have done since I learned the very base like easing settings going downwind 5-6 years ago.
The sea is 100km to the west and prevailing wind direction is between west and southwest. The lake is 100 to 130 meters lower than the surrounding hills, it streches like 15 km almost north south and is 1km wide at the club and up to 2km as widest. And the whole distance to the sea is hilly with some valleys forming shorter or longer channels for the wind.
It was a revelation sailing in the sea with 15 knots of steady breeze and without gusts doubling or more the wind average and shifting 40 degres. and without different wind on every spot even when it's "steady". I got so much more speed then I'm used to at least it felt so and I could not help myself to sail away more the I should have, in the waves alone without any backup. But it was so sweet. Being able to rely on a stedy pressure in the sail it was so fun with the waves. This is what the Laser was built for.
So now back home I am playing with a fuller sail less vang and then softer leech and sofar i'ts more relaxed, sailing with other boats will tell how efficient it is. The is no other Laser's here but a couple of Europe dinghys who sails infrequently.
The clubs main boat type is Triss dinghy, heavier twohanders, who doesn't react so immediatly to changing conditions, there is also Opti:s and Toppers the later most often used of sailer in the upper part and over of recomended weight range.
More to explore.
The sea is 100km to the west and prevailing wind direction is between west and southwest. The lake is 100 to 130 meters lower than the surrounding hills, it streches like 15 km almost north south and is 1km wide at the club and up to 2km as widest. And the whole distance to the sea is hilly with some valleys forming shorter or longer channels for the wind.
It was a revelation sailing in the sea with 15 knots of steady breeze and without gusts doubling or more the wind average and shifting 40 degres. and without different wind on every spot even when it's "steady". I got so much more speed then I'm used to at least it felt so and I could not help myself to sail away more the I should have, in the waves alone without any backup. But it was so sweet. Being able to rely on a stedy pressure in the sail it was so fun with the waves. This is what the Laser was built for.
So now back home I am playing with a fuller sail less vang and then softer leech and sofar i'ts more relaxed, sailing with other boats will tell how efficient it is. The is no other Laser's here but a couple of Europe dinghys who sails infrequently.
The clubs main boat type is Triss dinghy, heavier twohanders, who doesn't react so immediatly to changing conditions, there is also Opti:s and Toppers the later most often used of sailer in the upper part and over of recomended weight range.
More to explore.
