Laser76489
Member
How much change is good for the Laser class??
Before the upgrades of 2001 (and now possibly carbon top sections as well) all lasers had approx. the same speed. One of the things that attacted people to the class was the idea that every boat was more or less equal. I have sailed in other classes where if you had the bucks to invest you could move your placing up by several positions. I always admired the laser because it was all about skill and not about better boat speed.
The question I would like to see debated is "Are changes good for the class or bad??"
I recently got back into active laser sailing and am amazed to find that I would be required to spend approx. $500.00 just to allow my vang ,outhaul and cunningham to be adjusted more easily. I can see how it is nice to be able to make these changes. They do make the boat more pleasant to sail. I am just amazed by how liberal the rules in the class have become and in my opinion have resulted in at least 100,000 boats being rendered obsolete by the stroke of a pen. Was this done in an attempt to make the class better and stronger or as a attempt to increase profits?
FYI I will be getting the upgrades because I would like to able to adjust underway more easily. But were the changes made for the correct reasons?
Let me know how you feel!
Before the upgrades of 2001 (and now possibly carbon top sections as well) all lasers had approx. the same speed. One of the things that attacted people to the class was the idea that every boat was more or less equal. I have sailed in other classes where if you had the bucks to invest you could move your placing up by several positions. I always admired the laser because it was all about skill and not about better boat speed.
The question I would like to see debated is "Are changes good for the class or bad??"
I recently got back into active laser sailing and am amazed to find that I would be required to spend approx. $500.00 just to allow my vang ,outhaul and cunningham to be adjusted more easily. I can see how it is nice to be able to make these changes. They do make the boat more pleasant to sail. I am just amazed by how liberal the rules in the class have become and in my opinion have resulted in at least 100,000 boats being rendered obsolete by the stroke of a pen. Was this done in an attempt to make the class better and stronger or as a attempt to increase profits?
FYI I will be getting the upgrades because I would like to able to adjust underway more easily. But were the changes made for the correct reasons?
Let me know how you feel!