Dart 15 Forums

Well Folks,

All I can say it was sunny, with a 20mph breeze and a flat calm sea. All the 15's and 18's down the club had a whale of a time zooming about doing their racing.

Now I was out playing with my laser racing a couple of solos (I know I shouldn't but then again ..) and got it going really well planing up the reach, planing up the run and then planing on the beat. Needed to do a tack, that went fine, next thing I know I got that all so familar mast falling down sensation, but I thought there are no shrouds whats up. Well the top section of the mast had snapped! never seen one do that before, Needless to say the end went straight through the sail too. So that was just two legs and a little bit of the third leg completed before I called it a day.

To cap it all the week before I'd bent the tiller so I had just replaced that with a new one today! They say these come in threes so I'm dreading tomorrow....

Tomorrow I'll let the cat out of the bag for the first time this year, I'll have to rush through my schedule of repairs and re-configurations tomorrow morning ready for the afternoon. Fingers crossed, I have checked everything and it looks ok, although when I put the mast up a mysterious shackle came tumbling down from somewhere but another check reveals all as it should be.

Does anyone know what the correct vodoo magic is too lift the curse?

Martin S.

Well better get down there quickly this morning. Don't forget our 'Protest' training session to be given by our President.

Mark Kempson is bringing his newly restored 15 down today as well (two new boats in a single weekend!!).

The voodo strikes on the Cedric Wren - if Alex turns up and starts today its all over without your Laser.

Steve

Martin,
My next door neighbour who is "careful with his money" repaired the top section of his Laser mast when it broke. He repaired the break by fitting a piece of wood inside (fixed and sealed with sealant) and he turned the top section upside down so that the weak bit is at the top.
I would rather just buy a new section.
Cheers
Bob
PS Has your mast worn though the bottom of the hull yet? He has a fix for that too - also involving a bit of wood!!!!

Why are the Lasers so popular? This begs a further question: ARE they indeed popular?

To me, they are a here-today/gone-tomorrow bunch. A couple of years ago, we had about twenty of them that appeared almost overnight. In no time at all, they were demanding a separate start within the club starting sequence. For a few weeks, we had Lasers galore.

Then it suddenly ended. They decided in unison that Lasers were uncomfortable to sail, or something. The separate Laser start has become what is known as the Laser Void. I understand this is a familiar pattern with clubs that adopt the Laser.

There is one hapless individual whom I was hoping would buy a Sprint. He rolled-up at the club with his brand new Laser, explaining he was looking forward to some serious Laser racing. I laughed. I haven't seen him since.

Meanwhile, we had seven Sprints in the club race yesterday, plus Nick Jones venturing onto the water for the first time.

Hi Andrew,
Sounds good. Keep up the good work.
Cheers
Bob
PS You have got to be young, fit and 10-12 stone to do well in a Laser. That rules quite a few of us out on one reason or another!!!

Andrew Hannah wrote:Why are the Lasers so popular? This begs a further question: ARE they indeed popular?

<snipage>.

Well they get good turnouts at their nationals and regional events but I've never harboured an ambition in that area.

I like the laser because it keeps me in contact with the Dinghy scene as well as the cat scene with the 15, after all I started sailing in Dinghies all of 31 yrs ago at the age of seven. So if I want a change I can switch boats and get a different flavour of sailing (ie going from pretty stable and fast too tippy and slower but much more nimble). Its hard work to sail especially in a blow but rewarding. We don't have too many of them at Seasalter so its all Handicap sailing which is fine, although missing a win by 4 seconds after handicap is always a bit agrevating.

Yes in the past we did sail with just one fleet with the dinghies competing against the cats and in light winds the laser ate everyone for breakfast I remember finishing first on the water and from time to time I'd win medium wind races too. Also I had one race where an 18 was behind and on a short reach too reach course (it was very light wind) the 18 was quicker on the straight but slower on the corners and for me it was the reverse, after a few laps I won, the pay-off of being faster around the turns turned out too be a trump card! He was passing me later and later on the straight. The 18 sailor was a bit miffed and exasperated but we both thought it an interesting excercise.

Back to the boat itself: I'll just buy a new top mast and be done with it, although I'll salvage all the black end caps since new they are £9!. Sail is at the repairers so hopefully in the not too distant future I'll be back in business for our Dinghy Fun Day the weekend after the S15 TT in May.

Also the runes I cast seemed to have paid off today nothing too untoward happened!

Martin S.