Laser Gooseneck

[UK Laser Sailor]

Does anybody know the.............

1) Reason the laser gooseneck has a little hole in it before we all went XD? Before the "XD" rigging and even before the days of block or metal eyes being allow l have never used it.

2) Is it in the class rule if the hole should be at the top or bottom?

 

[LaLi]

1. It was originally a fitting designed for any boats, not just Lasers. The hole is for any kind of tack attachment, including a pin or a shackle.

On the Laser, I understand that the cunningham line was originally meant to be tied at that hole for a 2:1 "system". The 4:1 and 6:1 rope-loop systems made the hole useless later.

2. No. If you want to change the orientation, you can remove the fitting and re-rivet it the other way.

As there is no rule and it doesn't make much of a difference, they have been fitted both ways. My Standard lower has the hole on top, and on my Radial it's the other way round. Whether there is any manufacturer policy on this or if it's 50/50 random, I don't know.

 

[torrid]

At one point I used the hole for my cunningham setup with the hole at the top, but then got a new mast with the hole at the bottom. I specifically asked a measurer about being able to drill a hole at the top. He said no, that would be a modification that is not allowed.

The only option was to drill drill out the rives and re-orient the gooseneck. Give the stresses on the goosneck, the factory corrosion treatment, and the need for an industrial pop rivet tool to do job properly, I opted to re-do my cunningham rig instead.

 

[AlanD]

The current gooseneck fitting is not the original gooseneck fitting. I can't remember when it changed, but probably 15 years ago. The rules over 20 years ago did permit you to tie the cunningham line to it, so the presence of the hole was required in the current gooseneck.

Rule 3.f.v specifically permits the gooseneck fitting to be inverted. If a rule did not specifically permit it to be inverted, the fundamental rule would prevent it being inverted. Normally PSA fitted spars always have the fitting hole down, 99.99 % of the time, I can't comment on the rest of the world. I always invert mine just using just a quality hand held rivet gun.

 

[LaLi]

The current gooseneck fitting is not the original gooseneck fitting. I can't remember when it changed, but probably 15 years ago.

Really? My old mast from 1990 has a gooseneck fitting which is identical to the one on my 2005 mast. Also, a couple of years ago I fixed a 1979 boat, whose obviously original gooseneck fitting was, as far as I could tell, identical to the newer ones. (If otherwise, I think I would have noticed when rigging the outhaul system.) Maybe the early-to-mid-1970s boats had something different. I'll try to find my copy of the original Tillman book...

 

[AlanD]

And it could well be that your bottom section has been replaced at some stage. Since 1984, I have either owned or effectively owned 11 brand new lasers, at least the first 3 came with the old style goose neck fitting.

 

[AlanD]

Also note that boats supplied in different regions may have come supplied with different fittings.