New bailer replacement...spring

Hi, I ordered the springs from Ebay yesterday. What is this big issue about ? what officials put the boats apart to see if they comply, will they cut the hull in half too, please explain it to me I am ignorant. When I race nobody bothers me with these issues.:eek:
 
On one hand the Laser class being so tightly controlled has contributed greatly to the class as a whole...

Which is exactly the reason for why "the class" MUST take a hardline stance in interpreting the Class Rules, in particular when it comes to non-builder supplied equipment that is not explicitly allowed by the class rules.

yet on the other hand we have emotions running hot over a $0.20 spring that holds a 1.5" plastic door up...

Actually, it is a $4.98 part (or two for $9.95 at APS), with a single o-ring at around $0.90 (at APS). But to be fair, the "core issue" is the integrity of the one design rules, not the cost. I would certainly agree that this looks like a ridicuous over-application of the Class Rules. But I think you really have to be consistent in interpretations, otherwise you open the door for other alterations which could have a much bigger impact on the game.

I'm pro-springs. While it's clear that they do not comply with the letter of the class rules, they do Comply with the spirit of the class rules by making a part work the way it was intended to work. I'm certain that the class rules regarding this particular part were not designed in such a way as to have the bailer only work as well as you have recently replaced the o-rings that badly support it.

There is a "right" way to deal with this that is simple and straightforward - either make the bailer springs builder supplied -or- modify rule 13 to allow the o-rings to be replaced with stainless steel springs. If these are really the greatest thing since sliced bread then I'd think a rule change vote would be automatic, no?

And it won't be the first time rule 13 has been modified, either. For example, it was only a 2-3 years ago that class membership approved a change in wording which included: the self bailer opening pin may be secured to the cockpit floor with self adhesive plastic tape.

I continue to suggest that if people really want to see this as a rule change, they send an email to the ILCA Technical Officer. This entire thread can very easily turned into a complete non-issue.
 
Hi, I ordered the springs from Ebay yesterday. What is this big issue about ? what officials put the boats apart to see if they comply, will they cut the hull in half too, please explain it to me I am ignorant. When I race nobody bothers me with these issues.:eek:

You're right, nobody is going to start inspecting Laser bailers at major events in North America looking for illegal springs. And someone filing a measurement protest would need some pretty solid evidence to back up their claim before a measurer started tearing into a boat.

We sail events based on the trust that all the competitors are sailing by the Class Rules and have the advantage, with Lasers being so strictly controlled, that we (as in all of us) can easily see if other competitors have renegade blades, or sails, or masts, or .... The rest we take on faith and I'd hate to see people starting to think it was ok to look one way for some things because "its stupid". You need to draw the line somewhere, why not at the letter of the Class Rules?

If a Class Rule seems onerous or silly, then work to get it changed. Lasers are strictly controlled, but as we all know the boats are evolving with time (albeit very slowly). First stop on that program is the ILCA Technical Officer.

Ok, Motherhood and Apple Pie mode off... we now return everyone to their regularly scheduled program :D
 
Anyone want to make it easy for the rest of us and give us a shell we can copy and paste into the email ?
 
Nah, say it in your own words. It'll have much more impact than if they get 20 mail-merge emails that all look exactly the same except for the sender. It's only a sentence or two. If you're articulate enough to post on these forums, you're articulate enough to get the message across in an email that takes less than 5 minutes to compose. (Admit it, you already spent more time than that on TLF today.)
 
Not sure I agree with that. Clive H is the one who is getting these emails - he visits and contributes on this forum so he already knows the story on the spring/ring and can already hear our voices. To me, that then says it's a numbers game and it doesn't matter that the msg is the same, just that he gets as many as possible to bring to the pohbahs...
 
Hi,
if I remember correct to the last years, several small changes at the Laser have been done (such as for the diameter for the Megabolt at the rudderhead etc.). I woudn't be surprised, if in future such small changes will happen again. I know from the past, the class members had to vote on the changes at the ILCA Homepage...not a big thing to do. To permit that springs, not would be a big change to the ILCA ByLaws. Why not put that permition of springs for the autobailer into such a next voting. This springs seen to be a good idea. The boat not gets faster by using those springs, too is my opinion.

Ciao
LooserLu
 
FYI, I just ordered a new bailer (my Laser didn't have one at all) from APS and they still come with O-rings... you have to order the spring kit separately.

Clearly I should have asked... I assumed that for $65 it would come with the latest and greatest.
 
It took me 3 days to get mine by air mail and they do the job perfectly. This O ring issue is the stupidest thing I ever seen in my life, the company who makes the bailer should admit the problem and fix it, the price they charge for their plastic guizmo does not make sense.
 
Bought them . . . Installed them . . .

Bailer works exactly as it is supposed to, exactly as it did before I changed out the relatively brand new O-rings as another bit of preventative boat work. However now I don't anticipate having to deal with any issues for the next several years.

This past Sunday in Newport I was just as likely to swamp the boat, bury the bow, capsize to weather or leave the bailer open after the finish and fill up with water as anyone else on the course. The competitors that beat me outsailed me in the breeze, and I didn't beat anyone else on the course because of my ability or inability to properly operate the bailer.

The only advantage to springs I can see is that I won't go fishing for the screwdriver quite as often as I once did.

No brainer.
 
Some interesting developments then. Does this mean there might be a proper proposal for the new sail ready for the summer meeting then?
 
New sail? If there is a new sail wouldn't be class legal until Jan 2013, so we'll have to make do. From a personal point of view I think the current sail is fine.....
 
At last we finally know that the Harken traveller/boom block setup will run about US$90; and that the upper section mast coupler without rivets is getting a serious review.
 

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