Sailing with new metal clew sleeve today

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The word “attached” means attached in such a manner that the shock cord neither moves nor is adjustable. The shock cord running through the cleat is not “attached”.

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Al, thanks for this information. It is an important information.
But, there is something that makes me wonder:

Last year, Mr. Dawson-Edwards posted a really interesting report of his way to rig the Laser at the Masters Worlds 2006 at Fortaleza/BRA. This is to find here (Really many thanks to Mr Dawson-Edwards for this report):

http://www.jdemarine.com/laser__rigging.htm

At the 2nd and 3rd photo there, you see that way how the shockcord is cleated that now seems to be not legal, am I right?

It makes me wonder, that this way to cleat the shockcord at the Masters Worlds 2006 at Fortaleza/BRA seemed to have passed the measurement with success. Am I right?
So, my question now is:
Who is right: the measurers of the Masters Worlds 2006 at Fortaleza/BRA or the measurers from the actual US Trials 2007?

However, as long as there is not a competent official answer to this question, I knot the shockcord at the bridge of the old outhaul-camcleat. If it is a need, I loose or tighten the shockcord there, if sailing-manoevers do allow me that.

Ciao
LooserLu
 
Five of us in Aberdeen in Scotland have bought these new devices and none of us can make them work as well as you describe. Are laser spars the same in the UK as the USA?

The sleeve seems to "seize". It is easy enough to pull the clew out, but when letting the clew off, the sleeve seems to grip the boom and sit still unless you give the sail a tug. I have tried sliding it up and down the boome with the clew of the sail attached but the clew outhaul slack to make sure its not friction in the rope that is the problem. It seems to slide easily enough if the clew is rotated slightly, but if clew is sitting vertically, as you would imagine would be its natural postion, the slide then grips the boom.

Any advice from across the waters?

Raced 22 races in last two weekends in 15-30 knot winds and had the same problem. Everytime it gusts 20+ with rain the clew starts seizing to the point it was seized dead this Saturday. Lubing a bit helped, but it still did not move freely in 25+. Will lube more and see how it goes. Might opt off the thing if the problem remains...
 
My experimentation with the sleeve has ended with me chucking the thing in the bin. It kept jamming at key moments and while lube has helped it has not removed the problem completely.

I’ve gone back to the rooster Velcro strap which works perfectly. Sure – it might take an extra 5 seconds to unrig the sail on the beach, but this is time well spent when I know I can trim my sail correctly.
 
Another little issue with the sleeve is that it actually limits the amount of outhaul tension one can put on the sail since it hits harware holding the block at the end of the boom. Not an issue in winds below survival, but in 30 knots on an older sail these extra 1.5 inches could help...
 
You actually pull it all the way back so your clew tie down touches your rear mainsheet block boom bail? I have NEVER pulled it that tight, waaaaaaaaay to strapped! How do you even go upwind?
 

The word “attached” means attached in such a manner that the shock cord neither moves nor is adjustable. The shock cord running through the cleat is not “attached”.
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Rigging3a.jpg

"Here's the inboard end of the inhaul. The rope tail is whipped onto the two ends of the elastic. You may as well use the cleat for something."

I think this setup is illegal in two ways. First of all it is not entirely made of shockcord since "the rope tail is whipped onto the two ends of the elastic." Second, the rope tail "runs through the cleat" and is therefore both movable and adjustable, and thus not "attached."

 
thats how my shockcord is "attached" to my boom cleat, it just loops through itself (minus the whole rope thing in the pic above), and crosses under the boom, and hooks into the clew. Is that legal?

its a very nice setup, got it from Colie Sails, MOJO package
 
thats how my shockcord is "attached" to my boom cleat, it just loops through itself (minus the whole rope thing in the pic above), and crosses under the boom, and hooks into the clew. Is that legal?

its a very nice setup, got it from Colie Sails, MOJO package

Your arrangement sounds completely legal because it is attached to the cleat (with a lark's head knot) and is also attached to the clew using hooks.
 
thats what I thought, thanks

now how if I kept the same basic arrangement, but instead of hooking the hooks to the clew of the sail, I hooked them to the new clew sleeve, or permently hog-ringed them to the clew sleeve? I would assume it to be legal
 
thats what I thought, thanks

now how if I kept the same basic arrangement, but instead of hooking the hooks to the clew of the sail, I hooked them to the new clew sleeve, or permently hog-ringed them to the clew sleeve? I would assume it to be legal

Also sound like legal ways to attach the shockcord to the "clew of the sail, the clew tie down, the optional block at the clew, or the quick release system." The new clew sleeve is the "clew tie down."

I like this stuff. Anyone know what the process is for becoming an official class measurer?
 
it would be cool to be a class measurer

I assume a working knowlege of the rules, always being right, constant thumping of the rules, and you possibly get voted into the position gets the position
 
Sailchris,
there is a serious discrepancy.
between

=>the decision of the measurers of the Masters Worlds 2006 at Fortaletza/BRA, that let Mr. Edwards legal sail with that way of rigging that f.e. you show at your photo

and

=> the desision the measurers made at the US Trials 2007 that 'vtgent49' gave us the infomation about at reply #34.

The rules are clear, we all know this => ~ "Nothing, that is permitted extra by the classrules, is allowed".

I would like to know the experiences with their style to rig the outhaul-shockcord of the competitors of the Masters Worlds 2007 (not have been there, unfortunately). It would explain and help a lot.

Ciao
LooserLu
 
..The rules are clear, we all know this => ~ "Nothing, that is permitted extra by the classrules, is allowed".


Sorry, I made a mistake. I wanted to write:"Nothing, that not extra is permitted by the classrules, is allowed".

Ciao LooserLu
 
Re: Harken metal clew outhaul. I solved the problem of the sticking metal sleeve by putting some vaseline grease on the outer end of the boom. It probably adheres to the underside of the sleeve and works fine. However now I find that the outhaul is passively pulled in more on one tack than the other. Anyone come across this problem? Chris Hawkes
 
However now I find that the outhaul is passively pulled in more on one tack than the other. Anyone come across this problem? Chris Hawkes
It's because the blocks for the outhaul control line are tied to one side of the rig. Only way to avoid that is to have the control lines running directly down the centreline of the boom and mast. Which you can't.

The other thing to do is check the control line isn't hooked round the end of the vang ping - which will make the problem worse.

At least you noticed, which proves it probably isn't going to be a problem for you.
 
Metal clew sleeve is now off my boat, permanently. I rigged it up where is worked smooth on shore, but always jammed on the water. I now use the rooster strap, which seems to be the best compromise of functionality/rigging ease.
 
For those using the metal sleeve with a bungee inhaul:

Where on the sleeve are you attaching the bungee? There's not much room to tie anything to, and the loop on the hook isn't big enough to get a nice largish bungee through.
 
For those using the metal sleeve with a bungee inhaul:

Where on the sleeve are you attaching the bungee? There's not much room to tie anything to, and the loop on the hook isn't big enough to get a nice largish bungee through.

This is why I love to go to regattas. At this year's MMWE, Vtgent49 told me how to do this. You get some very small strong hightech line and run it through the sleeve. I ran it around the pin that holds the sleeve together, the one that the hook is on. Tie the small line in a loop a couple inches big, and then tie your bungee to that. I had the equipment to crimp the end of the bungee into a permanant loop, but I imagine you can tie a bowline in it too. It worked like a charm.
 
I prefer the attachment point to be the pin that holds the Sleeve together, as Merrily has said. This seems to interfere the least with the hooks intended operation. I think, but don't know, that having the bungee attach to the hook might just tweak it the wrong way.

I use 3/6" bungee, just one length, not doubled, and pulled fairly tight. Rule 3(a) vi allows a hook, tie line, or other device to assist in the attachment.

Also note that 3(f)vi states that the other end of the inhaul has to be attached to the outhaul cleat. This has been interpreted at the US Trials to mean attached, not just cleated in the outhaul cleat. I probably have mentioned here before that I liked to tie one end of a long inhaul to the cleat, pass it thru the clew, then cleat it in the cleat. This made it easy to release when using the velcro strap. This would now be illegal, but you could do it still if you had some kind of hook to attach it to the bail on the cleat. It's still my preferred method if I'm rigging a boat without the new sleeve.

I put a handle in the outhaul tail, that stops the release at max ease. Lately I've seen the better sailors are easing the outhaul a lot more than I ever did, for reaches and runs.

Al Russell
 
Aha! I was thinking of doing exactly the same thing (tie a loop of line around the pin, and attach the shock cord to the loop), but couldn't find a place in the rules that makes it legal. Thanks!
 

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