Laser measurement

stmsp

stmsp

New Member
Hello to everybody in the forum!

I want to buy a Laser Standard. I have fould four used boats and I'd like someone to tell me what to measure in order to know which boat is the best for racing. I hope someone to tell me the secrets of Laser measurement, because I can't find anything in the internet. Thank you in advance! :))
 
Hey mate,
welcome.
To answer your query in short - hull wise, they are all the same. A laser made here in the U.K. 12 years ago will be the same as one made in Australia last week bar the obvious symptoms of use and abuse. They are all built to fairly exact criteria with the exception of the class legit sails which can and seem to vary ever so slightly from one to the next.
The spar dimensions and foil dimensions are the same globally, the governing body has laid out strict rules regarding (the minimal ) rigging but set ups are open to slight variations within the rules for people ( boats ) when competing in class sanctioned events and indeed at club level.
The only part of the boat that can be 'personalised' is the tiller & extension but even there a simple rule exists.

Regarding which boat to choose over the other three you have found comes down to -
a: what you intend to do in it
b: how much money you want to spend
c: the most solid/cleanest/accessorised ( cherished & looked after )

I'm sure the others will have some deeper guidance for you.
I always say to prospective buyers ' you will instinctively know your boat the moment you lay eyes on her'
Quite often they come back to me later and with enthusiastic amazement agree !

For out n out racing and to keep up with the joneses you need to be seeing a couple of sails, carbon sticks, harken kickers, solid side decks, no corrosion on the spars, a smooth shiny hull and importantly - an isaf sticker in the cockpit.

There are like, four generations worth of lasers out there ( over 200,000 ) and the old old boats are usually but not always just beach fun boats, full of scratches and with dated hardware, wobbly hulls but happy to exist, y'know.
The mid range numbers can still be competitive at club/ regional level if they cherished. Worth a look.
( my own boat is 18 years young but in terrific shape )
For serious competitors though, newer boats are de riguer. Desirable numbers are anything above 190k.
But because each boat is the same, it comes down to the person at the controls - their desire, their fitness, their skill.

Show us some pics of your potential rides
 
Hi!
The only measurement I know people are doing before purchase is to check the weight of the hull. It should be 130lb. A heavy hull is mostly because of water inside.
 
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There are manufacturing tolerances certainly, but for the most part I would look at the condition of the hull. Weight is certainly a factor, but you will have to rig up your own system to weigh it (don't think just bathroom scale will work).

The one thing they do measure at major regattas is mast rake. I can't give you any specific numbers. However, I would at least stick the lower mast section in the step and check that it isn't pointed too much to one side.
 
Sooo, nobody knows about measurement numbers... I found some Laser books and or order some of them. I hope that they have some numbers.
 
Even the class measurers do not have access to the builders manual which might have the numbers you think you need. Beyond some people looking at hull weight & spar weight the only other number I've ever seen people worry about is mast rake. Everything else is visual e.g. rudder & centreboard straight, vertical & in alignment.
 
so... what do you think I must consider before buying a Laser? as I said and above I've found four Lasers and I don't know which boat to buy!
 
as Voodoo 158546 said and above:

"Regarding which boat to choose over the other three you have found comes down to -
a: what you intend to do in it
b: how much money you want to spend
c: the most solid/cleanest/accessorised ( cherished & looked after )"

I want a boat that is competitive, because I intend to race in the championship.
as for the money, I estimate to sped about 3000 euros
 
3000 eur should get you a pretty decent boat of the order of sail number 185,000 to 190,000 or so.

There is a pretty good buyers guide in the FAQ section that will help you out but I would add that I would choose a lake sailed boat over a sea sailed boat if there was nothing else to choose between them because the lake sailed boat is likely to be stiffer (as it has not taken the pounding of waves).

Equipment can also vary the price considerably so a boat with several sails, multiple rigs and a road trailer will command a premium over a boat that only has 1 sail and 1 rig.

Aside from that is it purely down to condition to check the decks for delamination, the underside of the hull for scratches and the foils for damage. Maybe even take a friend who knows what to look for.
 
Hey Torrid,
I've weighed boats on bathroom scales mate !
Two methods, one for on your own and not windy the other if you have any friends.
1: cushion on scales, back the boat up to the scale. Lift bow so transom squarely on cushion and keep walking pushing the hull up above yourself until it's vertical. It will vaguely balance and with only a finger ( takes balls lolz ) holding it, weight can be gotten.
2: get your mate to bring his scales from home so you have two scales. Place them alongside bow n stern, cushions on scales, boat lifted onto cushions and add the two weights.
 
definitely weigh the hulls if you want to do serious racing, the tolerances aren't much but if you add up slight variances throughout you can get a few lbs of difference, when is this going to make a difference, probably mostly in light air

it's more if your boat is too heavy, when you compete with the best in the world they'll have an advantage

we weighed all the spars in our fleet and there was quite a wide variance, turns out my upper was the heaviest so theoretically stiffer,

you can also check the mast rake and make sure the rudder and daggerboard line up, that matters

then obviously the boat condition, if you have a super light hull that leaks, it's not light on the water. That being said most of the boats that leak will be on the heavy side, so weighing is important
 
A few things i've considered when buying my boat recently;

you dont HAVE to weight the hull if you can be sure it's dry inside, smeling the bung hole can help determine this, if it's still like chemical epoxy smell, and no water has come out your in luck, also check all round the hull deck join is secure the entire length of teh boat, check mast step for leaks by putting water into it, cockpit floor & side decks for stiffness, check the bottom for scratches and pay attention to the transom area, this tends to go worst.

If the boat has been trailed check where it sits in the trolley for cracking in the gelcoat, some are OK, but not deep, if they are as deep as the fibreglass you might be in bother...

remember you can get colour matched gelcoat for newer boats so gelcoat repairs are easily done yourself.

I just bought a boat (181432) for 1500GBP, which had some slight gelcoat cracks on the bow, there was another boat for sale for 1550GBP, sail number 160xxx which had less damage but did have an inspection port installed at the centreboard(the seller told me the last owner installed it as bottle holder but i wasnt 100% certain of this)

I figured a 181 boat with the repairs done was worth well more than the 16o would ever have been when i eventually come to sell it, plus I got 3 official sails (1xAUS in great conditon, 1xUK in good condition and an older one ill probobly never use but it's grand) with the 181, rudder and Centreboard only new last year, ronstan mainsheet block, top masts new last year.

I've probobly spent about 15 hours on it doing the repairs but I could have got away with less if i just wanted to get out and sail. just need a final coat of gelcoat on the bow and then wet and dry teh hull with 1500 grit and then use some farecla G3 paste to bring the shine back.....
 
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