Sail too long?

F

Fred Nelson

New Member
I am new to laser sailing. Took the little girl out for the first time today. A 77 model, but with a 2 year old sail from Intensity. The sail seems to be too long, extends all the way to the boom (and a little more), sail luff is wrinkled. The sail position on the boom is ok. Anyone else with this issue? Is the mast too short?
I haven't located mast dimensions anywhere. What is the overall length? Height of the gooseneck above the deck?
Does tacking call for ducking pretty low?

Thanks,

Fred
New Laser sailor at Millerton Lake, California.
 
You can find the measurements here http://www.laserinternational.org/rules/classrules/measurementdiagrams/topsectionboomfoil (you'll also need to look at the bottom section from the left hand menu)
If the tube lengths are correct, then check your position of the gooseneck on the lower section and the collar on the upper section. If those are correct as well, sail is too long.

Yes, you need to duck when tacking, especially if you have some vang on. It get's pretty hard to do with two in the cockpit, better to have minimal vang on then.
 
Fred, could you possibly have a radial or 4.7 bottom section (the top sections are all the same)? If you bought a standard sail from Intensity, it wouldn't fit properly.

And welcome to the forum. You can see that I'm in Fresno and sail at Huntington Lake. I've yet to get to Millerton.
 
Check the position of the topmast collar against the spec. or another topmast. My rivet sheared and the collar slid up the topmast, making the sail too long.
 
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