The future?

What's the point? There are several classes out there which cater to people who like to tinker with their boats and put new toys on them. Nothing wrong with that, but the Laser class has always been about keeping it simple.
 
Is anybody else having trouble seeing the pictures of the new sail on the sailing anarchy website. Whenever I click on the link to the picture it takes me to a page that says an error occurred.
 
I also got the email and confirmed my email address and all that stuff and I was logged in but it gave me the error.

Edit: It said the error was that I don't have permission to use this feature.
 
These are some pictures Bill Hansen sent to me from the trial sails at the slalom...
 

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Now someone heading on the right track! What are the details...
Why can't the class sail look like that...
 
Now someone heading on the right track! What are the details...
Why can't the class sail look like that...

read the threads - you want a sail that looks like that go race with other guys who want the same thing. Sail another existing class like Byte or start you own. Just don't try and change mine!
 
Sounds like guys had fun with it until they capsized during a death roll. Broke the top spar and bent the bottom spar! That was expensive.
 
read the threads - you want a sail that looks like that go race with other guys who want the same thing. Sail another existing class like Byte or start you own. Just don't try and change mine!

The Laser class has always been about sailing equal boats and making the winner be about the skipper's skills and tactics. We have all already allowed/encouraged the class to change the standard with the addition of various changes starting with foam blades, cam cleats for the main, compasses, then in an effort to add boat tuning to the mix in a more efficient way we added outhaul, vang and cunningham adjustment to actually be feasible. We also allowed two additional classes of "lasers" to be spawned as mentioned in another post the radial and 4.7, even the M was an attempt to provide a different range of sailing accessibility. Given that the sail size actually resulted in a new class it matters less that we add a new sail option than the rigging changes that have already been allowed on the Laser standard.

Certainly a bigger rig would allow heavier people to have the same experience that people in a "standard" weight range have as the 4.7 and radial do for the lightweights. Though as another post points out this might be at the expense of the spars and or deck. Obviously someone at 160 lbs sailing a big sail could crush a standard rig (if they could stay upright) also obviously big rigs wouldn't be allowed to race against standard, or radials or 4.7 in one design class races.

In the long run it is a marketing question, the laser standard (now with the Pro rigging) is the olympic class boat, and the radial is the women's olympic class boat. If we could actually watch Laser sailing on TV here in the states maybe the class popularity would grow instead of shrink. But I am getting off topic. If people get excited about Lasers because of a big rig option that is ultimately good for the class. whether the manufacturers who market the class will support the change will probably ultimately decide the question. Meanwhile if a developer want to risk an investment on a new toy for laser hulls why complain. It keeps the value of old hulls like mine up, and helps stimulate the interest in general. The long wait for hull number 200,000 (less than 10 years for 0 to 100,000 more than 25 for the next 100K) might get shorter if the boat gets sexy again. Though the pcture flaoting around of the 1980 worlds may not help that either:)
 
That's fine with me. I race a laser sometimes in class races sometimes in H/cap races. This new rig will be welcome by me in H/cap races along with Bytes, RS 700 Laer 4.7 and Radial. It will not be welcomed by me as a replacement for or in Laser class racing.
 
I wouldn't think they want to replace the original rig. I'm sure it's going to be like the Radial or 4.7. Just another option.
 

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