Martin Williams
New Member
I have just started racing again after a fifteen year break. My Laser is 55721 and thus 25 plus years old. The hull appears very solid with no obvious soft spots or major damage and spars and foils are reasonable. Sail is shot. I've upgraded the vang, outhaul and cunningham with some extra blocks. Within my racing fleet several people have now suggested to me I should not spend time and money on this boat but rather buy a newer boat. I am unconvinced and would like peoples opinions.
To put things in perspective I see my two options are (i) spend $1200 on this boat and buy a new sail, the new cunningham and outhaul deck hardware and the self bailer or (ii) sell this one and spend another $2500 -$3000 over what I get for it to get a boat that has the newer hardware but although much newer is still several years old, probably with a sail of the same age.
Personally to me option (i) seems to offer the liklihood of the best returns as I see a new sail being likely to offer me much better performance improvements than a newer hull - what are your views?
To put things in perspective I see my two options are (i) spend $1200 on this boat and buy a new sail, the new cunningham and outhaul deck hardware and the self bailer or (ii) sell this one and spend another $2500 -$3000 over what I get for it to get a boat that has the newer hardware but although much newer is still several years old, probably with a sail of the same age.
Personally to me option (i) seems to offer the liklihood of the best returns as I see a new sail being likely to offer me much better performance improvements than a newer hull - what are your views?