drLaser
Member
Hi,
In a post on April 8, I had noted that "JC Tie-down Sleeve", an article about the re-engineered clew tie-down fitting designed by John Christianson was made available in the "Class & Racing Rules" and "Maintenance" sections of the drLaser web site.
Since then, the "JC Tie-down Sleeve" was being tested by ILCA NA Vice Chairman Tracy Usher, and is now on its way to the Worlds at Bitez, Turkey so that the World Council members can have a chance to seriously consider it and test-sail it.
The "JC Tie-down Sleeve" is a cylindrical polished stainless steel part that fits snugly around your boom end and allows you to quickly and securely attach your clew grommet to it. The clew is attached by just hooking it to an internal hook on the sleeve.
The advantages of the system are:
1) allowing you to keep your clew really far down, flat against the boom, giving you a tight leech and thus reducing the load on your vang - a feat impossible with a line tie-down, no matter what kind of line you use, while
2) allowing you to unhook the clew from the boom in a snap, for adverse landing or emergency conditions, and
3) eliminating almost all the friction of the tir-down on the boom.
Those who resist the introduction of this new "gizmo" as a legal Laser part cite that:
1) nobody really needs this (except maybe for hot-shot racers for whom a tight leech is crucial), and
2) a hooked clew can never be as secure as a tied clew, and may accidentally release from the hook in certain deathrolls.
The drLaser article points out that the design is such that it is impossible for the clew grommet to accidentally release from the hook withou human help.
In consideration of the pending World Council review of this new part, it may be interesting to determine if such a new part would have grassroots support. Both the World Council and the designer - a long-time Laserite, himself - would probably want to know if such a part would have a market.
I would appreciate it if you took the poll and voiced your opinions based on the above and/or the (ILCA Members Only) drLaser article.
Shevy Gunter
Member, ILCA-NA
Editor, drLaser
In a post on April 8, I had noted that "JC Tie-down Sleeve", an article about the re-engineered clew tie-down fitting designed by John Christianson was made available in the "Class & Racing Rules" and "Maintenance" sections of the drLaser web site.
Since then, the "JC Tie-down Sleeve" was being tested by ILCA NA Vice Chairman Tracy Usher, and is now on its way to the Worlds at Bitez, Turkey so that the World Council members can have a chance to seriously consider it and test-sail it.
The "JC Tie-down Sleeve" is a cylindrical polished stainless steel part that fits snugly around your boom end and allows you to quickly and securely attach your clew grommet to it. The clew is attached by just hooking it to an internal hook on the sleeve.
The advantages of the system are:
1) allowing you to keep your clew really far down, flat against the boom, giving you a tight leech and thus reducing the load on your vang - a feat impossible with a line tie-down, no matter what kind of line you use, while
2) allowing you to unhook the clew from the boom in a snap, for adverse landing or emergency conditions, and
3) eliminating almost all the friction of the tir-down on the boom.
Those who resist the introduction of this new "gizmo" as a legal Laser part cite that:
1) nobody really needs this (except maybe for hot-shot racers for whom a tight leech is crucial), and
2) a hooked clew can never be as secure as a tied clew, and may accidentally release from the hook in certain deathrolls.
The drLaser article points out that the design is such that it is impossible for the clew grommet to accidentally release from the hook withou human help.
In consideration of the pending World Council review of this new part, it may be interesting to determine if such a new part would have grassroots support. Both the World Council and the designer - a long-time Laserite, himself - would probably want to know if such a part would have a market.
I would appreciate it if you took the poll and voiced your opinions based on the above and/or the (ILCA Members Only) drLaser article.
Shevy Gunter
Member, ILCA-NA
Editor, drLaser