New Daggerboard 06' World boats

sfox

New Member
I've heard that the World's boats had a new style daggerboard. They have done away with the hand hold and went with a small hole in the rear of the board for a rope instead. Also that the shape at the bottom is slightly different and 1/4" longer. I was told that they did this because someone hurt their fingers lowering the board when the blue stopper broke. I was wondering if anyone at the worlds noticed if they changed the finish to be more like the new rudder?
 
sfox said:
I've heard that the World's boats had a new style daggerboard. They have done away with the hand hold and went with a small hole in the rear of the board for a rope instead. Also that the shape at the bottom is slightly different and 1/4" longer. I was told that they did this because someone hurt their fingers lowering the board when the blue stopper broke. I was wondering if anyone at the worlds noticed if they changed the finish to be more like the new rudder?

No, the board is made of the same material as before and the finish looked the same as well (but note that I didn't take a very thorough 'microscopic' look). I prefer the previous version, but Vanguard made the change for safety reasons.
 
I have heard the same reactions from people who went to the worlds at my club. I guess we like our existing boards we better take care of them.
 
The key to the new daggerboards is one's ability to make a good handle, it's now very similar to the laser daggerboard in that regard. To be more specific on a previous post, I heard that someone actually lost a finger, or something along those lines. Supposedly, the stoppers had busted off when someone went to slam the board down. Personally, I would have prefer that they just reinforced the stoppers with a bolt, but all in all, it wasn't a major readjustment to deal with. The new boards were made in the UK, both rudder and daggerboard, I felt they have a little more a snazzy finish than previous boards, whatever that means.
 
I'm stopping by a nearby dealer to grab up a spare old/new daggerboard. Finger slammer or not, I REALLY like the built in handle. Smooth finish or not.
 
I recently got a new boat, and I was suprised when it came with the board that didnt have the handle. I dicided to keep my old board. The length of the board should not be any different, otherwise the class would have to approve it. If it really is longer though, maybe I'll start useing the new one.
 
It looks just like the "old" racing board but the handle hole is gone. There is a a new small hole at the aft end for tieing a rope between that hole and the foreward hole that has always been there. Really nothing too interesting to look at. BB
 
Just one more change that makes the Sunfish more and more like a Laser. In recent years we have had hiking strap, rolled deck edge, new rudder (twice), new daggerboard (twice), white sail, adjustable downhaul and outhaul.......


What's next?
 
Geezer, your definition of "recent" and mine are quite different. My first fish was a 1968 and it came from the factory with a white sail. I don't think 38 years qualifies as recent (and the hiking strap was approved 21 years ago for that matter.)

To really make the boat like a Laser we are going to need to switch rigs and hull shape. Until then, they remain quite different (unless your eyesight and sense of speed, feel, etc. are totally shot.) BB
 
But my Sunfish does not sail like my Laser! The Laser is much easier to depower while you are sailing where with the Sunfish you have to struggle to adjust the gooseneck or stop and put in a Jen's rig. So in this respect the Sunfish is not becoming closer to a Laser.
 
The hiking strap was approved at the class meeting at the Sunfish Worlds in 1985, which meant everybody had to retrofit their existing boats. I don't know the first year that the manufacturer actually started installing them in new boats. All SLI boats had them, and they started making them around '91 or so. I think the Pearsons did too but am not sure. BB
 
I know my 1991 Pearson came with one and the 1990's I saw when I pre ordered my 1991 had them as stock for the "racing versions" that came with the racing sail, hiking strap, and metal tiller in place of the colored rec sail and wooden extension.

As for ease of sailing give me the stability of a Sunfish any day over a Laser. Ease of depowering don't mean a thing if your turtled...LOL
 
Personally, I like 99% of the changes that have been made to the sunfish. Then changing the centerboard was a safety issue that Vanguard had to make. This change does not change the performance of the boat in anyway. I agree that it is a little less convent, but it was one they had to make. However I don't like it either. Thats why I will keep my old board. If you don't like the changes, then you don't have to make them to your boat. The biggest improvement in my opinion was the racing board, which I don't see many people complaining about. I've never sailed a laser, but just by looking at the two boats they are completely different. I have raced against a laser in my sunfish, and it does go faster and does point a little higher. These boats will always be different, and feel different. The only way to make them feel the same, is to make them the same boat, and then there would be no sunfish. The centerboard is a small change that dosent really change the boat at all.

Steve
 
I have one of the 2006 World Championship boats. Board is made in UK. Same size as old board. No handle hole. Instead, it comes with a 3' X 7mm rope to fashion a handle, using two holes in the top of the board. The rope handle works, but the knots get in the way. I finally taped off the knots to make sure they did not come apart under sail. They did once and that was a bit awkward. Bill H.
 
sailorf2 said:
"...The only way to make them feel the same, is to make them the same boat, and then there would be no sunfish. Steve

Among many small sailboats—including three catamarans which I still own—I owned a Laser for just one season. It took a lot of fiddling to get the mailsail ready for sailing, as you can't just "raise" (or lower) the sail.

I never tipped it over but also never felt secure while sailing it. When my B-I-L visited (and he is an experienced sailor), he took it out in a moderate-to-heavy wind and capsized it in four minutes! (Captured secretly with HIS video camera -- hee hee :D ).

For a secure ride, ease of maintenance, handling on land or water, convenience of storage and transport, the Sunfish is super hard to beat.

:)
 
A question on the new daggerboard with the small aft hole: Would it be legal to enlarge the aft hole into the "old" shaped handle with a router? Rule 3.2.5 states that no modifications shall be allowed to the daggerboard shown in rule 5 figure 4. The rules, unless changed, do not address the new shape. Comments?
 
I agree with Porpoise 2. The Sunfish will give you a SECURE ride. As for me...

"I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast, for I mean to go in harm's way."
 
What Will White when he was class measurer told me was "if it's not specifically allowed it's not legal". That's what I've gone by.
 
Scott said:
A question on the new daggerboard with the small aft hole: Would it be legal to enlarge the aft hole into the "old" shaped handle with a router? Rule 3.2.5 states that no modifications shall be allowed to the daggerboard shown in rule 5 figure 4. The rules, unless changed, do not address the new shape. Comments?

That's a hard one. Because rule 3.2.5 says that you cant alter the daggerboard in anyway unless it's shown in the diagram. However, if you look at the digram of the daggerboard the rules have, it is of the "old" style racing board. So by that rule, I don't think you would be braking any rules. But that's just me.

Steve
 
Scott said:
A question on the new daggerboard with the small aft hole: Would it be legal to enlarge the aft hole into the "old" shaped handle with a router? Rule 3.2.5 states that no modifications shall be allowed to the daggerboard shown in rule 5 figure 4. The rules, unless changed, do not address the new shape. Comments?

You could ask the Class Measurer (Todd Edwards), but I am 99% certain that such a change would not be legal. Primarily because the elimination of the holdfast was conceived for safety reasons, the class wouldn't want to take on any legal exposure for 'blessing' what you are thinking about.
Moreover, one could argue that making a big hole in the daggerboard would make your fish a (tiny bit) faster. Considering the big hole in the prior version of the board, this argument appears a bit silly to me, but as stated in the prior message, changes to our one-design (!) boat are generally not permitted unless specifically mentioned in the class rules.
 
If you look at the diagram it has the handle in it. And I really have no idea how it could make it go faster even in the slightest. If you are thinking about weight, it would be the same as the "old" racing board.
 
Be careful if you use a router on the new board. There are about a dozen stainless steel rods that stiffen the board running through it that will do a j.o.b. on your router bits. Interesting, the diagram shows the handle hole, where my new board has only the holes for the "rope handle." Bill H.
 
Rule are rules. If the rules say I can modify my new daggerboard to make it identical to an old daggerboard, then I can. Ain't one design sailing grand?
 
But the rules don't say that about the plastic dagger boards.

"No modifications shall be allowed to the daggerboard shown on Rule 5 Figure 4. Refinishing and/or repairing are allowed provided that the dimensions are in accordance with the measurement diagram on Rule 5 Figure 4 and with any gauges the Class may use to define the original size and shape. Covering this daggerboard with fiberglass is prohibited."

Rule 5 figure 4 is the plastic daggerboard.

Problem here is the rules only get changed once a year and even after the rule is changed it takes time to update the book and site. So the new "revised" plastic daggerboard picture will take about an extra year to be changed/added. Remember it all volunteers doing the work.
The change was made for safety like Wavevdancer posted, so "converting" to the older style hole would be against safety and definitely not allowed.

The class measurers over the years have been notoriouis for not taking kindly to folks that "interprete the rules". Sea lawyers should try a different class...LOL
 
Well, whether it is legal or not, if you do a nice job installing a big hole in one of the new boards and paint it nicely, no one will ever know that you did it, and not the factory. BB
 

Back
Top