Standard or radial

Chuso007

Member
I`ve just bought an old laser, (my first one) and I've never sailed a laser before. I'm about to buy a new sail and I don't know if I should buy standard or radial. I'm about 1´68 m and 70 kg. Can somebody help me decide? I live in northwest Spain, gusty and sometimes strong winds...
 
well...you weigh 70 kgs, so that is enough to sail a full rig(standard). But also you mentioned that it can get gusty where you sail. You could go for a radial for those gusty days and keep your full rig for the days that aren't. Also if you buy the radial, you need the radial bottom section to go with the sail.

I'm guessing that your laser came with a full rig, so you can keep the full rig and buy a radial sail and bottom section for those really gusty days. It really all depends on how well you can keep the boat flat. I weigh 61kgs and i have a full rig but for those odd gusty days where i sail(on a man made lake enclosed by trees)... i really need a radial.

I'm sure some of the other guys will have some stuff to say about this. So, give 'em a couple days to reply to this also.
 
Chuso007 said:
I`ve just bought an old laser, (my first one) and I've never sailed a laser before. I'm about to buy a new sail and I don't know if I should buy standard or radial. I'm about 1´68 m and 70 kg. Can somebody help me decide? I live in northwest Spain, gusty and sometimes strong winds...

I did a metric conversion. You are 5'5" tall and 154 lbs. One inch shorter than me and a little lighter. I needed the radial, but I'm new to sailing altogether. I can sail the standard in winds under 10 knots. I believe I heard that the ideal racing weight for the radial is 165 lbs, or 75 kg. It also depends how well and long you can hike out. Are you really strong? If you go with the radial you also need a new bottom section for your mast.

Anyway, I vote radial.

Merrily
 
yeah a radial will suit u better, i sail my radial at 5ft 8" and weigh around 62kg. i have an old full rig those the light day,
so i reckon ur best bet would be to buy a radial sail and bottom section.
 
Search the Laser Sailing forum using:
Standard Radial

and also

Full Radial

You see some other threads where this has been discussed.
 
I'd suggest you consider the racing activity in the region you're in--if there's not many radials,and you're growing fast,it wouldn't hurt to get used to a lotof sail
 
Thank you very much everybody, I'm still not sure what to do, because there are only a few Lasers around here, and even fewer radials... And I would definitively want to race against somebody!

Unfortunately, my budget is not very healthy lately to get both :( . anyway I'll try to have it ready for sailing soon and check for myself if I can handle the big sail...
 
the ideal weight for a radial is more around 150 lbs. If you are not very competitive, and on a budget, i suggest purchasing a used sail, rather then buying a brand new sail.
 
I'm 5'6" 130lbs and definitely enjoying the radial I got new last summer. I can't imagine learning on a full rig and I highly recommend learning on the radial. If you compete in mixed full/radial races, you ought to be handicapped somehow; there's some kind of conversion of scores I read about on here. I'll be at my first regatta this week, Austin Yacht Club's Muy Frio Regatta, sailing in a mixed full/radial fleet and will pass on what I learn as it relates to your choice.
 
Thank you, I'm not new to sailing at all (actually I have up to four atlantic crossings, and have have sailed most of my life, although lately only in summers), I'm new to lasers, and I have to say, the laser I bought came with two full size sails, only they are so old, I don't want to be seen around with them!!!, I have the oportunity to bring a new one through a friend from USA in april, much cheaper than here. But I think I can only afford one (I'm going through divorce, so I'm kind of poor right now...). Anyway, I'll try to sail as soon as possible with the large ones and then see what I need.

Thanks everyone!!
 
Buenos dias chuso007,
you have an old std. sail? Well, here is a trick two shorten the sail-area for stronger (gusty) winds. I leaned it from fellow-Laserites at my former sailing-club in the end of the 70ties (we had no "M-Rigg" in former times in that club; radial or 4.7-sail were not desinged in that times):

Take the sail and put it over the mast. You don´t put the short-sail-batten in its pocket (but of course the others).

Now make the Cuningham(old-style!!)-controlline through the Cunningham-grommet and fix one end at the kicker-fixing at the mast.

Now, turn the Sail (3-5 times, as you need) around the mast.

Then, put the other end of the Cunningham-controlline through its fairlead on the deck of the hull, but meanwhile be aware that you fix the controlline with your hands to the mast, because otherwise the sail will probably turn back...

Then, put the boom to the gooseneck and the kicker-block to the boom.

The outhaul-contolline is to fix direct (not a mooving line!) to its fairlead at the other end of the boom. Don´t pull the kicker too much (max. allowed tension is when the boom is 90 degrees to the mast).

P.S.: Don´t do this trick with a new sail, please!! You will ruin it!

PPS: I allways, while I´m in training or cruising, use my old sail with much black shaddows (from a permanent-marker... but this is another story...) on it. Until today, no one asked me to get ashamed, because that sail is dirty :D

Good sailing and buenos noches
LooserLu
 
Jesús, I have your same weight and height and have owned two Lasers Standard in the past. While racing in moderate to strong winds I was always struggling and at disadvantadge with the other heavier sailors...
Now I am going to get my third Laser and definetely is going to be a Radial, I want to have fun too ! (I can race with the Masters using whrere both Standard and Radial rigs can race together...
La idéa es pasarla bien, ser competitivo y no que séa sólo sacrificio !
 
Gracias kgodefrio... The truth is that I weighed myself two days ago ¡165 lbs.! that's a lot more than I expected... maybe is true that you put on 10 kilos every decade, but I turned 30 only a year ago..... I thought it would happen at the end of the 30's, not at the beginning!

I'll go for full... Next year I might be 174....
 
The radial definitely has more advantages than the full rig. It really isn't that much slower in light winds, and in strong winds you can power up and point higher. You also have a yardstick advantage, as with this advantage in strong winds, you will also pick up positions on the overall results by having a lower yardstick.

But if it's the thrill you're after, go with the full rig. There's nothing better than planing out of control on a strong wind day. I am 6'2 and 90kg and I still find it a handful.
 
JacksonAUS said:
The radial definitely has more advantages than the full rig. It really isn't that much slower in light winds, and in strong winds you can power up and point higher. You also have a yardstick advantage, as with this advantage in strong winds, you will also pick up positions on the overall results by having a lower yardstick.

But if it's the thrill you're after, go with the full rig. There's nothing better than planing out of control on a strong wind day. I am 6'2 and 90kg and I still find it a handful.

Hang on, aren't you going to be sailing Mossies?

A 90 kg Mossie crew will be interesting. You'll sink the poor little thing won't you? Sad end for a nice boat. :)
 
Little? Nah.. I've sailed it 2 up with jib, my crew was a mate that weighs 85kg. It sat a little low in under 10 knots but when the wind kicked in we were still over powered. We only had one trap set up though.
 
OK....I sail Taipans which were designed as a more modern Mossie and for heavier crews, but most of the Ts have crews around 140 or less....any more and the beams drag in breeze and a chop.
 

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