Hi Laser sailors,

As you will be aware the sailing season gets underway next weekend.

It would be helpful if you could let Sally know if you are planning to be a radial/4.7 sailor.

Just a recap of how it works.

All lasers race and start together on the water whether you sail a full rig laser, radial or 4.7.

You need to be in one of the two categories though for your results to be recorded properly on the results.

You may be either a:

Full rig sailor who may also use a radial sail.

A radial sailor who may also use a 4.7 sail.

By default you will be classed as a full rig sailor so if you wish to be a radial/4.7 sailor do let her know.

This may be changed I believe between each series but do check this with Sally.

You cannot switch between sails if it is a non series event, such as the club championships or pursuit race etc.

Please contact Sally by email at:

Sarah/All..

Great idea to get the fleet status sorted before the season starts, but can I bring up the point ref using more than one rig in ‘non-series events’? I would debate whether a lighter/intermediate sailor should be prevented from using a radial sail on a windy day for the club championships/whitstable week. My logic is that a heavier sailor has a chance in light winds, but a light sailor has little chance in strong winds.

What does the forum think?

Steve

Steve,

To allow this in a non series event such as the club championships would surely be unfair to the other non laser competitors?.

The laser radial, 4.7 and full rig are all individual classes of boats.  We are only allowing people to switch down in the club series to keep everybody happy and encourage individuals of all sizes to race.

Does this mean that say a Merlin sailor can change to a tasar in the club champs then because he/she may be able to manage it better in strong winds and still count this result towards the same event??.

I do not expect you can change sails if you were at a Masters event for example?.

Regards

Sarah

The analogy of the Merlin sailor switching to a Taser isn’t really that useful in this context. Using a radial rig on Laser hull can also be regarded as a form of reefing - easily owning and using two sail sizes is one of the key benefits of sailing a Laser. Intermediate weights (like me) are able to sail in a much wider range of conditions over the length of series and (presumably?) our sailing gets better as result - in this context it’s not really like sailing two classes of boat.

I take the point about changing rigs during an event like the club champs. I think a helm should have to use their judgment at the beginning of a regatta about which rig to use, and then stay within that handicap. Of course, if they commit to a full rig and then switch to a radial on a windy day, they have effectively reefed their boat, and have to take their chances against the big rigs (on a big rig handicap). The results of the radial fleet are not affected, as they are on a separate handicap. This might be a bit like a Wanderer or a Laser Stratos reefing their main, which presumably they are entitled to do?

Not a 100% about this, but what do think...?

Andy

The merlin/tasar analogy is for a club champs scenario only.  The series events as we know permits us to switch between 2 different rigs which I feel works well within each of our laser classes and allows us to sail in any conditions.

As I said before I do think that we should stick to one sail for any other events as this is only fair on all other competitors who may not have the choice.

At the end of the day we are club sailing but I would like to think we have competed fairly against others.