Laser II or laser
- Thread starter Shey
- Start date
polopony20
New Member
Hi, I asked the same question (above) but only had one reply.I am going to buy my brothers laser 2 as he tells sailing single handed is no problem although the first couple of times out I will probably only use the main.Although boating with others is great (used to waterski),and a lot of the time I will want to sail with a crew, being let down by others is no fun so the ability so go out solo is a very important part of how I want to sail.Shey said:
Have Fun.
Tim.
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GeoffS
Member
Alot depends on how much you weigh. At 100 kg+ I don't have any problem holding the Laser-II down single-handing. Working the jib and main takes some practice, but it's quite managable once you get used to it. As I mentioned in the other Laser v. Laser-II thread, the II is very stable (esp. on a plane), so you can cleat the main, adjust the jib, and go back without any problem on any point of sail.Shey said:
Cheers,
Geoff S.
laserII will not tack without the jib and you will be stuck head to wind. I know this first hand as I used to have a L2 and most of the time could not find a crew so I ended up sailing it on my own. Made the mistake once of trying without a jib and that was disasterous with being stuck in irons...very hard to get out of without the jib. Basically if it happens means backwinding the main and pull up the board.
I do agree that it planes quicker and is more stable than a L1...none of that death roll. However if you do capsize it goes turtle all of the time. In strong winds the extra sail area means that it is very hard to hold down. I had to go on the wire in order to hold it down
I do agree that it planes quicker and is more stable than a L1...none of that death roll. However if you do capsize it goes turtle all of the time. In strong winds the extra sail area means that it is very hard to hold down. I had to go on the wire in order to hold it down
GeoffS
Member
And that's a bad thing?...Steven said:
Cheers,
Geoff S.
sailordude
New Member
LASER!! laser is more fun to learn on and to race on. you dont have to be woring about a crew and saying what there doing wrong. i just think the laser is an all around better boat but its all personal pref.
The Laser 2 must be sailed with a jib, otherwise there is too much weather helm and the boat never gets going. The jib is fairly small on this boat, relatively easy for single-handed. Some notes:
1.) Tie knots in the middle of the jib sheets (instead of the ends), where the downwind adjustment would be. This way, when the sheet is released, the clew doesn't flog forward of the headstay.
2.) For single-handed, cam cleats for the main sheet are necessary. (Think about it, I wish I had.)
3.) The Laser 2 doesn't seem to turtle faster. But, the mast is heavier. Perhaps this is a subtle difference. Also, a double-handed crew may be slower to recover from a knockdown than an agile single-hander. This delay is critical. If the mast tip is allowed to sink, then the waves against the hull will drive the sail under. The turtle happens very quickly from this point. If the mast hits mud, then the boat must be pivoted 180 degrees before any hope of recovery is possible. I think this applies to all dinghies. Our club has a chase boat that routinely spins boats around after deep mud exploration.
4.) Students often feel more secure with a plastic milk jug tied to the top of the mast for floatation (one or two gallons). Tie them to the webbing on the top of the Laser sail or the head of the Laser 2 main. (I don't think friendly club racing will have a problem with this. The top finishers won't be doing it.)
Have fun!
1.) Tie knots in the middle of the jib sheets (instead of the ends), where the downwind adjustment would be. This way, when the sheet is released, the clew doesn't flog forward of the headstay.
2.) For single-handed, cam cleats for the main sheet are necessary. (Think about it, I wish I had.)
3.) The Laser 2 doesn't seem to turtle faster. But, the mast is heavier. Perhaps this is a subtle difference. Also, a double-handed crew may be slower to recover from a knockdown than an agile single-hander. This delay is critical. If the mast tip is allowed to sink, then the waves against the hull will drive the sail under. The turtle happens very quickly from this point. If the mast hits mud, then the boat must be pivoted 180 degrees before any hope of recovery is possible. I think this applies to all dinghies. Our club has a chase boat that routinely spins boats around after deep mud exploration.
4.) Students often feel more secure with a plastic milk jug tied to the top of the mast for floatation (one or two gallons). Tie them to the webbing on the top of the Laser sail or the head of the Laser 2 main. (I don't think friendly club racing will have a problem with this. The top finishers won't be doing it.)
Have fun!