Lasers - Applying a Blow Torch

Foredeck Shuffle

Foredeck Shuffle

More of a Stoic Cynic, Anarchy Sounds Exhausting
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Stuck On The Start Pin
Gouvernail said:
How much differently do you ask the scoring committee to adjust your handicap when you race with your special equipment. How did you arrive at the proposed alternate handicap number. Have you adjusted the number after every regatta?
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The first Intensity squarehead had no mods, was a straight 10% hit on each wind range. The only rational was that in the Portsmouth D-PN rules if a mainsail is larger (no matter how much), apply a 10% rating change.

Club is small, only 2 major event each year and that only drives in 5-9 Laser's, so data is thin. Using Porstmouth weekday events where getting races in is more important than setting a square line and it is rare that anyone takes a 1kt cross tidal current into account, does not really help as not many have the time on the water to take land geography, seasonal wind, and current into their sailing tactics.

So I spent time to understand the Portsmouth calculations better and worked backwards on how the Laser's rating likely became what it is while using scores from ours and other club events that had Laser's racing other boats. Then read up on the RYA's PY method of calculating a rating and attempted to reverse that, not very successful at it though I do get how ratings are supposed to work. Better than PHRF but not ideal.

The 10% worked pretty well, it not a bit punishing. Several squarehead sails later (same size) but with better stitching to the cuff, a reinforcement point to keep the top to battens from spinning the cuff and hooking the sail, and lighter tapered battens to permit the top to bend off better, and the sail was better and the rating not so hard. So I asked to change the lowest rating to be faster and the highest rating to be slower (the boat just wants to pitch pole downwind over 20kts) and the response was that no one saw a problem the rating. I'm not using it anymore, it feels like a cheater sail now that I have it figured out. But I also cannot get that sail from Intensity anymore... ...sa la vie!

The bummer is that the C8 is being rated like the squarehead that was on the taller 7 rig and it is no where near as fast in light air. I get that back in heavy air as the C8 is lower and significantly more controllable and perhaps its fine I do not do as well. I really don't care, handicap racing between two equal sailors is more about conditions for the boat with some luck sprinkled in. I know when I have sailed well and when I sucked, in handicap those two may occur in opposite of the results.

I was going to get some more 7 rig squareheads built but now that I'm playing around on a 29er set up to single hand and hoping to have the RS 600 back to racing condition by mid winter I do not see much of a point. I may buy a C5 and C6 just to keep around for when the kid grows up and is stuck with a Laser. Hopefully I'll just get him an Open Skiff with the two sail options, an Aero 5 when he gets older, and this as soon as he can keep an Opti upright. :giggle:

optimist_aile_rigide-3461985368.jpg
 
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Foredeck Shuffle

Foredeck Shuffle

More of a Stoic Cynic, Anarchy Sounds Exhausting
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940
Stuck On The Start Pin
W
Xeon said:
Well that’s good news for owners and new buyers of Picos, Bugs etc .

Doesn’t seem that long ago that LP were boasting that they were the worlds largest manufacturer of sailing dinghys in the world .
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Wish the higher performance RS boats showed up in the US in an interesting quantity.
 
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Raz'r

Raz'r

Super Anarchist
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De Nile
Wess said:
Well since you asked nicely…

ILCA = Hidden fees on boat and gear buyers be they members or not.

And if you want to know how much just go look up the ILCA budget. It’s not hard to do and it’s a lot of money. For absolutely nothing that benefits entry level or club level sailors!!

Que the liars and apologists…
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Why do you care? Don't you sail a Laser? When (ever?) will the Laser class get big enough that Rasta will start charging for SMOD management? Of course, you will get the results you pay for, boats that might be different from production run to production run. Lack of spare parts availability, etc.

Besides, I don't see you bitching about the fees I needed to pay on my International 14. That's another boat that cannot sail in the ILCA class. Just like a Laser.
 
Foredeck Shuffle

Foredeck Shuffle

More of a Stoic Cynic, Anarchy Sounds Exhausting
4,246
940
Stuck On The Start Pin
Currently own four different sailing dinghies and some have multiple rigs and sails. And always in the market for something interesting, as well as searching for the next sportboat.

The kid already has a trust set up. Cannot take the rest of it with me...

I assume that was pointed at me, if not, well, I didn't really rise to the occasion if it was.
 
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