Class Politics New mainsheet blocks?

Here's a pic of Tracy>>>

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I can't tell if he is testing the new blocks or not

I don't think that is a European boom either.

Ian
 
Back on the blocks...
It seems the following issues ( just my list. Please!! Add your items I left out), have been raised and I believe ought to be brought to the World Coincil meeting as "issues raised by the sailors."

1. The boom block ought to be removable without drilling out rivets and re-riveting the boom bale.
2. Consideration should be given to use of "off the shelf" blocks.
3. Revisiting the entire design of the mainsheet system could be welcomed if the resulting benefits are adequate to justify such radicalism.
4. Durability must match or exceed the old blocks.
5. The new blocks should not cause new and different damages to the deck.
6. The sailors would like to see actual samples so more informed discussion can be held.
7. If the ILCA and regional associations are being given the "mandate" to enforce compliance for one supplier, the class should also receive royalties from each block to fund the education and enforcement.
8. Modernizing the boat to the available quality level and durability affordably attainable in this century is recognized as necessary for the survival of the game of Lasering.

What else should we send our representative to tell the World Council. Is there any of the above you would not like Tracy to tell the World Council when we fund his trip to the next meeting of that group?

Off subject:

It's your money and your association. We elect representatives who really DO want to hear about your concerns. Be careful as the "leaders" might ask you to spend time and money to help do those things you advocate but...Unless you speak up. Nobody else will know what you want!!!
Tracy can do a lot but he damn sure can't read minds and probably doesn't want to know what is in your head anyway...especially you Ross!!!

Gouv has a million jokes.

JOkes are funny. I may have a million things to say but to refer to many of those as jokes would be both overly flattering and inaccurate.
 
I am all for new blocks but only if they are not custom to the laser. I believe we should all be using the same blocks because it is a one design. If they were to change them there should be no reason that the laser has to be one of the only one designs with its own specifically engineered blocks while there are blocks on the current market that can do the job fine. The only real reason PSE is pushing the blocks is because the blocks are one of the few things that are not builder supplied and therefore one of the few things that PSE isn't taking our money out of our pockets on. The old blocks aren't the best but i don't see why harken carbo is not good enough for a laser. I'm all for change in this class but the blocks were the last thing on my mind. I guess PSE is not for making us a better and stronger class but they are for squeezing every penny they can out of us. Soon there well be builder supplied hiking straps will all have to used specially designed for the laser and builder supplied and will all be paying $70 for $40 sietech hiking strap and $40 will go to Sietech and $30 will go to PSE.
 
JOkes are funny. I may have a million things to say but to refer to many of those as jokes would be both overly flattering and inaccurate.

Well, I said you made a joke. I didn't say it was funny. ;)

Didn't Tracy say that pix of the blocks wouldn't tell you much?
 
Back on the blocks...
3. Revisiting the entire design of the mainsheet system could be welcomed if the resulting benefits are adequate to justify such radicalism.

Provided that the "review" does not grow and cause everything to stall because additional aspects are being considered. I expect there are always many aspects and it can become a difficult balance as to how broad the changes should be in relation to getting something relatively quick and easy done. Whilst I agree "if you are going to do something then do it right", but at the same time, don't delay when a change can be considered in isolation.

Ian
 
[...]These would not be off the shelf blocks, they would be custom for the Laser[...]

I strongly oppose and will vote against the gratuitous introduction of custom parts.

How about:
"Boom end block, lower aft mainsheet block, and traveler block may be single blocks of any size and design, with or without snaps, swivels, and other fittings, provided that when all slack is pulled out of the mainsheet, the distance between the bottom of the boom and the top of the traveler line is at least x inches."
 
I strongly oppose and will vote against the gratuitous introduction of custom parts.

How about:
"Boom end block, lower aft mainsheet block, and traveler block may be single blocks of any size and design, with or without snaps, swivels, and other fittings, provided that when all slack is pulled out of the mainsheet, the distance between the bottom of the boom and the top of the traveler line is at least x inches."

That would mean having to measure to ensure legality. That's a step backwords from where we are today. As prev mentioned you want to be able to look at someone's blocks and know that they are legal..
 
That would mean having to measure to ensure legality. That's a step backwords from where we are today. As prev mentioned you want to be able to look at someone's blocks and know that they are legal..

Fair enuff.

But I still don't see the need for a custom, laser-$pecific part.
 
Another solution...

Have you ever tried sailing a Laser with no traveler blocks?? If the traveler is Spectra ( THE THICKER THE BETTER) the boom can be pulled lower to the deck and the friction is not much different than sailing with blocks. Also, the pulley does not catch on the tiller so the traveler can be pulled tighter than with a traveler block.

I did it on a Wednesday night when a buddy broke his blocks. I knew how to make a temporary rig and swapped boats with him to do it..then the race started and I got to try his boat for an entire race. That night, medium wind, I liked the boat better without the traveler blocks.

Reality Note: He beat me in the race and usually didn't finish ahead of me...That means I suck and only beat him the remainder of the time because my boat is better...

Anyway..Why require blocks at all?
 
Any news Tracy? When are we going to get to see the pictures?
 
Another solution...

Have you ever tried sailing a Laser with no traveler blocks?? If the traveler is Spectra ( THE THICKER THE BETTER) the boom can be pulled lower to the deck and the friction is not much different than sailing with blocks. Also, the pulley does not catch on the tiller so the traveler can be pulled tighter than with a traveler block.

I did it on a Wednesday night when a buddy broke his blocks. I knew how to make a temporary rig and swapped boats with him to do it..then the race started and I got to try his boat for an entire race. That night, medium wind, I liked the boat better without the traveler blocks.

Reality Note: He beat me in the race and usually didn't finish ahead of me...That means I suck and only beat him the remainder of the time because my boat is better...

Anyway..Why require blocks at all?
God, that's sad.

1.gif




Same friction without blocks. sad sad sad.
 
As a "rec-racer" I hope you don't mind if I add my 2 cents.

Having taken apart a few of the existing blocks, it is obvious that anything new (particularly if it is not plastic and includes a sheave bearing) will be more expensive than what is currently legal. Therefore, it would seem to me that this would be an opportunity to take advantage of the marketplace and competition in order to keep the cost of upgrade reasonable.

I would propose that the four blocks in question be very narrowly specified (i.e. materials and n.t.e. sizes for sheave, bearing/configuration, cheek, swallow, becket, etc.) such that more than one manufacturer could have a class legal product. Now there may be those who would argue that this would allow someone to spend a lot of money on some "high-zoot" block and therefore have some sort of unfair advantage. I know a thing or two about bearings (the real deciding factor here) and there is a law of diminishing returns such that a bearing made out of "unobtanium" will not contribute anything more to mainsheet feel, or lower resistance, etc. than one made out of Harken, Holt, etc. standard bearing material. It will remain that the more knowledgeable (and better pepared) sailor will always do well.

Laslty, if it is not legal now, attaching the boom blocks with a swivel shackle should be allowed due to increasing numbers of sailors through-bolting the straps.
 
Laslty, if it is not legal now, attaching the boom blocks with a swivel shackle should be allowed due to increasing numbers of sailors through-bolting the straps.

The last thing we need are block with swiveling action, then they will be twisting all over the place.

What we need are blocks that can be attached by clevis pins, so all you do is undo the pin, and you can take your block off. (pr any other sort of pin, shackle, ehhhhh, they need to be as close to the boom as possible. I still purpose tying them to the boom.)
 
I took my new boat out for the first time today - and on my first non-light gybe the traveller block parted company with the traveller. Lovely. What was that about the old style blocks being reliable???
 
The last thing we need are block with swiveling action, then they will be twisting all over the place.

What we need are blocks that can be attached by clevis pins, so all you do is undo the pin, and you can take your block off. (pr any other sort of pin, shackle, ehhhhh, they need to be as close to the boom as possible. I still purpose tying them to the boom.)

A poor choice of words on my part, sorry. Having never sailed with such a thing, I could not say if it would be an enhancement, or a handicap as you suggest. My point is the removability and and use of current legal blocks. A standard shackle would rotate the block 90 degrees from the centerline of the boat. A twist shackle would solve this but the block could rotate a few degrees each way.
 
Neither is desirable, the blocks do NOT want to rotate or twist, they need to stay straight. What we need is an attachment system similar to the Harken Dinghy Blocks, such as the H021, as show here, please scroll down: http://www.apsltd.com/Tree/d261000/e260621.asp

Or the Ronstan Orbit blocks, as shown here:http://www.apsltd.com/Tree/d279000/e276355.asp These are also similar to the Harken Carbo blocks, those main benefit is that you can just tie them on. In fact, there is no need for the boom bails. But you would have to create a stop on the boom so that the blocks don't slide forward or back.... You can put the boom bails on top of boom, and tie the blocks inside of that space, or as they do in the carbon world, they add a piece of carbon fiber behind the line so it does not slide back, but we're not that advanced.
 
Those Harken H021's would be a great step up, providing the same functionality but far better performance/reliability and the cost is only $10 (or thereabouts) more than the standard Laser blocks.

They would provide a low cost, incremental improvement to the class with no modifications necessary to the boom. Not to mention the fact that you don't have to drill and re-rivet to detach/attach them.....
 
Thats the whole idea. I don't know if it would be good to use those specific blocks, but if new ones are to be designed, I think it should be necessary to have an attachment system incredibly similar to those I have listed.
 
Not if done correctly, and not any more than a standard block.
 
I’m always unsure about using line to attach blocks as line does tend to wear – particularly in high load situations. Of course regular maintenance could detect and replace such wear before problems but one of the great aspects to a Laser is that it requires little maintenance.

Ian
 
True

I do not think you have to worry about using line to attach blocks to Laser booms in the near future, as we do not have the correct type of boom for the application. It would take many, many, many years for us to get that far.

Most likely we'll end up with a new version of what we have. And if we want to put new blocks on our boom, we'll have to drill out the rivets on our boom bails, and reattach them. Knowing how well I deal with removing rivets, looks like I'll have to buy a new boom if I want the new blocks! lol
 
Ross B. has illustrated my previous point which is that rather than having new blocks designed for Lasers (and only for Lasers), the governing body could narrowly specify them such that 2 or more manufacturers' standard offerings can be used. This will mean that we have a choice and competition will keep prices in check. Frankly, paying close to $20.00 for three pieces of plastic and two or three rivets is crazy.
 
No kidding! I have a few of the older screwed together plastic ones and I was shocked as to how little there was to the things.
 
Can't happen fast enough. Get rid of the skullpuncturing sheet guide on the bottom edge of the boom while we are at it.

Mark
 
You can install a soft one made from a cover from a piece of line if you wish. I did and it makes like much better.
 

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