laser 2 sailboat rigging

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Laser 2 Rigging Guide

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Posted on 02 May 2010 14:53

The Laser 2 is a two person dinghy, which comes in various different configurations, some with trapeze, some with spinnakers, some with both. There are a range of names for them, from Regatta, Fun, and Fun New Wave amongst others. With an ideal crew weight between 120-170kg, it's an ideal boat for mixed crews and younger sailors.

The Laser 2 was launched in Australia and North America in 1979, then Europe in 1980. It was designed by Frank Bethwaite, whos family are also responsible for other high performance boats such as the 29er, 49er and B14. It's still fairly popular with University racing in the UK, as it's open handicap popularity has dropped in recent years with the launch of the newer asymmetric ranges from Laser, Topper and RS. The Laser Vago is considered to be the replacement for the Laser 2.

Photo 1, Parts laid out

Photo 2, Trapeze parts

As far as rigging guides go, sit tight because this is going to be a big one! We've got the spinnaker trapeze version, and are going to rig it all up. We have 102 photos in all to show all the steps, so here we go.

Photo 3, Spinnaker parts

Photo 4, Sails, spars and foils

1. The Parts

- Hull - Mast + Shrouds and Forestay + Trapeze Wires - Boom - Main Sail + Battens, Jib Sail, Spinnaker Sail - Rudder + Tiller + Tiller Extension - Daggerboard - Outhaul - Downhaul - Kicking Strap (various arrangements available, ours uses 2x double pulleys) - Inhaul - Clew Tie Down + Hook - Painter Rope - Trapeze Bungee + Height Adjuster Ropes - Trapeze Handles + Cleats (these vary boat to boat) - Traveller / Hawse - Main Sheet - Jib Sheet - Spinnaker Sheets (one red and one green) - Spinnaker Halyard/Downhaul - Spinnaker bag - Pulley blocks (traveller x1 double, main sheet x2, spinnaker sheets x2, spinnaker halyard x3 etc)

Photo 5, The hull and cockpit layout

Photo 6, Trapeze handles

Photo 7, Shroud adjusters

That's a pretty long kit list we have this time! If you're buying a Laser 2 second hand (which chances are you will be as there are very few new ones), make sure you know what you're getting with the boat. It's always good to have a spares box at hand when rigging up for the first time, chances are something will be missing. If the list above looks quite daunting, then remember that some of it's already attached; there's a good chance all the trapeze wires, handles and adjustors will be hooked up ready to go. We're rigging up a spinnaker trapeze version here - it's quite possible some of the above won't apply to your boat, depending on the model.

Photo 8, Centreboard retaining clip

Photo 9, Spinnaker halyard

Photo 10, Spinnaker halyard cleat

There are also some Laser 2's that come with spinnaker chutes through the foredeck into the cockpit, and some quite rare examples with asymmetric spinnakers (and also a one off quite mad conversion that uses a 29er asymmetric spinnaker). We won't be demonstrating any of this as we don't have any available.

2. The Mast

We're going to start with the mast already up. The mast on a Laser 2 is in two halves - the top half is about 6 feet long, and slides into the lower half - but make sure the main sheet halyard goes down the same side of the mast as it comes up. Before you continue, make sure the end of the main sheet halyard you attach to the sail is pulled all the way down.

Photo 11, Spinnaker halyard

Photo 12, Spinnaker uphaul

Photo 13, Jib cleat

It's pretty easy to get the mast up - one person lifts it up and lowers it onto the mast step on the deck - make sure both the deck step and the bottom of the mast are clean. Hold the mast steady, while a second person attaches each shroud in turn, and then the forestay to the fitting on the front of the deck. It is possible to do this solo - the best way we've found is to attach one shroud and the forestay while the mast lies on the ground, and it should then stay up in place while you attach the other shroud and tighten everything up.

3. The Trapeze

Now the mast is up, let's start with the trapeze, as it's easiest to do without the sails in the way. This is a single trapeze on this boat, one on either side for the crew. If you have them they should already be attached to the mast, and shouldn't be taken off, as you will have to remove the diamond shroud to do this, and won't get it back on after! There is a piece of elastic bungee that goes from the bottom of each handle, around the front of the both, to keep the tension on the handles and pull them forward out of the way. To start, thread the elastic through the micro block on the front of the deck (Photo 14), and pull it through to get equal lengths on each side. You can get double micro blocks - you should use the bottom sheave.

Photo 14, Insert the trapeze elastic

Photo 15, Through the bullseyes

Photo 16, Into the cockpit

Next, hold the ends together, and thread them through the fairlead in front of the mast (Photo 15). They then split, one going to each side. There is a fairlead inside the cockpit on the front side that it should lead through (Photo 16), and then for now, tie a quick knot in it, to hold it here (Photo 17), and do the same for the other side.

Next, assemble the trapezes with their handles. You can get slightly varying handles, We have v-jammer adjustors on them. Tie the trapeze adjustor rope (should be about 60cm / 2 feet long), onto the bottom of the jammer with a bowline (Photo 18), then take it around the pulley block of the handle (Photo 19), back through the jammer and tie a knot in the rope to stop it coming out, as shown (Photo 20).

Photo 17, Tie it off for now

Photo 18, Rope adjuster on the trapeze handle

Photo 19, Through the handle

Now, take the end of the trapeze bungee, un-knot it, and secure it around the trapeze handle (Photo 21). We've used a slightly altered round turn and two half hitches, feeding the working end through one of the turns - this stops the elastic slipping through so easily (Photo 22).

Photo 20, Completed adjuster

Photo 21, Secure the trapeze elastic to the handle

Photo 22, Secure the trapeze elastic to the handle

Photo 23, Attach the jib to the front ring

Photo 24, Clip the jib on

The jib is next - make sure your jib halyard is free of any other lines (e.g. the spinnaker uphaul or halyard). Attach the front bottom edge (the tack) of the jib to the front loop of the boat using a shackle. We have to clip our jib onto the forestay along it's luff, but not all Laser 2 sails have these (in fact class legal ones don't).

Photo 25, Attach the jib to the halyard

Photo 26, Hoist the jib, and clip the jammer in

Photo 27, Neatly coil the halyard

Attach the end of the halyard onto the top of the jib with a suitable shackle (Photo 25), and hoist it. We've used a slightly different jib here, it's not Laser 2 class legal, and is ever so slightly smaller, hence the number of shackles on the top to make the wires fit. The Laser 2 has a crimp on the wire part of the halyard - which you can see in Photo 26 if you squint or without squinting in Photo 13 - this has to be fed through the metal fitting shown, and pulled towards the mast to hook it on - you may need to pull on the forestay to give you some extra slack to clip it in. The jib should then stay up - but we had to experiment with shackles to get the fit right. Coil up the halyard rope neatly (Photo 27) - this can be stowed on the deck or in the cockpit - we've got a nice neat solution of two halyard bags, as you can see in Photo 82 at the bottom of this rigging guide. In fact, these are just two see through pencil cases that we managed to attach to the front of the cockpit using shackles and the fairleads.

Photo 28, Jib clew

Photo 29, A bad way to attach the jib sheets

Photo 30, They get twisted easily this way

To finish the jib, attach the jib sheet to the jib clew (Photo 28). The method we've shown here first is a lazy method - fold the rope in half, pass the middle (bite) through the jib clew, then pass the two ends through the middle of the bite (Photo 29), and pull it tight (Photo 30). This is a quick way of doing it, but we've found that when sailing, the two jib sheets tangle up and wind around each other very quickly. They can be fairly easily untangled by sheeting in the jib tight, but the better way is to put a stop knot half way down the length of rope (Photo 31).

Photo 31, Better way - equalize the jib sheet

Photo 32, Stopper knot one side

Photo 33, Stopper knot the other side

Pull it through the jib clew until the knot is against the clew (Photo 32), then put another stopper knot in the other side of the clew, as shown in Photo 33. For some reason, jib sheets tend to tangle slightly less this way, we find. Finally, feed the ends of the jib sheets through the bullseyes (Photo 34), then into the cockpit (Photo 35). Inside or outside of the trapeze lines is the question - the answer is personal preference. The jib sheets need to come inside of the shrouds on the Laser 2, to allow you to sheet the jib in tightly enough.

Photo 34, Jib sheet through the jammer

Photo 35, and into the cockpit

5. Traveller

The traveller is quite easy - take the rope for the traveller, put a small bowline in one end of it, thread the working end through one of the bullseyes/fairleads on the back of the deck, thread it through the smaller block of the two joined blocks (ours are taped together), through the other bullseye/fairlead, the working end through the bowline (as shown in Photo 36), into the cockpit, and through the jammer cleat (Photo 37). Don't forget to put a stopper or figure eight knot in the rope to stop it coming back through (Photo 38).

Photo 36, Attach the hawse or traveller

Photo 37, Lead it into the cockpit

Photo 38, Jam the traveller line

To start the outhaul, secure one end of the line to the bullseye on the end of the boom (on the top), using a bowline (Photo 39). Take it through the smaller side of the stainless steel hook (Photo 40), then back through the bullseye (Photo 41). This line then leads along the top of the length of the boom, and through the jammer cleat on the top of the boom (Photo 42). Again, put a stopper knot in it, and the outhaul is done. If you're not rigging race legal, you could do a different outhaul arrangement, with blocks for a multi-purchase system like we use usually, as our club doesn't worry about race legal, but if you're up against other Laser 2's, you should use this class legal standard outhaul.

Photo 39, Start the outhaul with a bowline

Photo 40, Take it through an S-hook

Photo 41, Back through the first fairlead

7. Main Sail

Unfold the main sail (Photo 43), and get the battens ready. Insert each batten into it's correct batten pocket (Photo 44), and seal them in. On some sails this is just tucking the batten into a fold of the edge of the sail, on this sail we have velcro pocket ends, to stop the battens coming out as shown in Photo 45 (as they don't readily float, as we found out with our Merlin Rocket ones after a capsize!).

Photo 42, Along the boom into the jammer cleat

Photo 43, The main sail

Photo 44, Insert the battens

To raise the main sail, attach the halyard end to the top of the sail, using a suitable shackle (Photo 46) - at this point you may wish to add a masthead float or a few plastic bottles to stop you inverting (as Laser 2's have a reputation for inverting quickly). Slide the sail luff bolt rope into the mast slot (Photo 47), and as one person feeds the sail in (Photo 48), the other should pull on the halyard end that comes out of the bottom of the mast, to raise the sail. If it's difficult to pull up, check the following:

Photo 45, Ensure the pockets are sealed securely

Photo 46, Attach the halyard

Photo 47, Insert the bolt rope into the mast slot

1. The sheave block at the top of the mast, and at the bottom where the rope comes out should freely roll. If they are stiff or rusted, you will struggle, and should consider replacing them. We had to send off to the USA for replacements for the lower one, but it makes an incredible amount of difference. Try a simple oiling first though, don't immediately replace them. 2. If the sheave is ok, and the bolt rope is a little swollen/rough, try some silicon spray along the luff, this should make it easier to hoist. 3. Check the top of the bolt rope, next to the head of the sail, is tight and not frayed. If necessary, use a sharp knife, such as a craft knife, to cut the lose fraying rope off, then try to seal it with a flame.

Photo 48, Carefully hoist the sail

Photo 49, The rack for the main halyard

Photo 50, The halyard cleated off instead

For a standard Laser 2, you should be able to pull the halyard all the way out and expose the end of the stainless steel rope part of the halyard (Photo 49), then hook the wire loop onto one of the teeth on the halyard rack. Depending on conditions you should increase tension on the mainsail by hooking onto a higher tooth. Unfortunately when we had our main halyard wire replaced (as it was fraying), the replacement wire was not quite long enough, so we've had to add a stainless steel figure 8 cleat on the mast, just to the side of the rack (Photo 50). This however is still class legal. Finally, loosely coil up the rope and stow it - we've added halyard bags to pop this into, which you'll see later.

Photo 51, Starting the downhaul with a bowline

Photo 52, Through the sail

Photo 53, Through the top of the jammer cleat

8. The Downhaul

Next comes the downhaul - the purple rope on our boat. We've used lots of different colour pieces of rope to make it easy to tell which rope each one is, and this one is purpe. Start by tying a bowline in the end of the rope , then feed it through the cringle in the front of the main sail (Photo 51) - you should use the upper one (Photo 52), as you won't be able to pull the sail down much with the lower one, which should be used as a sail inhaul. As shown in the picture, get relatively equal lengths of rope either side of the sail. Next, with the working end, feed it upwards through the jammer cleat (Photo 53) just under the boom so it comes around the top edge of the cleat without touching the jaws, through the eyehole of the bowline (Photo 54), then back down through the jammer cleat, through the jaws. This now gives you a multi-purchase (2:1) downhaul, without using a pulley block, which is against class rules. Put the boom on the gooseneck, and this stage is done, as in Photo 55. Make sure the downhaul passes both sides of the boom as shown in Photo 56.

Photo 54, Back through the bowline loop

Photo 55, The completed downhaul

Photo 56, Make sure its either side of the boom

9. Clew Tie Down

We've added a quick and dirty clew tie down - just a length of rope passed around the boom and through the clew cringle on the mainsail a few times, secured with a reef knot, shown in Photo 57. You can come up with more elaborate solutions, but this is simple enough. Just make sure that it's not too tight, and the outhaul rope passes through the middle of it. You also don't want to trap the mainsheet if you've already added it by this point. Why do we need a clew tie down on a Laser 2? Much like the Laser 1, as it's a loose footed mainsail, if you don't have a clew tie down, when you let the outhaul off, the sail may have a tendency to rise up off the boom just lowering the boom, instead of forward along the boom giving it a more curved shape.

Photo 57, The clew tie down

10. Mainsheet

You probably will already have the correct block attached to the boom for the mainsheet, but if you haven't, it should be the black pulley with a becket. Attach it to the boom as shown, then start the mainsheet off the becket, using a bowline (Photo 58). We're using the 10mm thick blue and white rope (note this isn't standard Laser 2 issue but the class rules don't restrain you on rope types/thicknesses/colours). Take it through the larger top block of the traveller, in the front to back direction (i.e. through the front, and out towards the back) as in Photo 59, then back up and through the first pulley again (Photo 60), this time from the back through to the front. Take it along the boom, through the small fairlead (shown between the two spinnaker pole holders, Photo 61), through the final block on the boom (Photo 62), then through the block on the cockpit floor (Photo 63).

Photo 58, Start the mainsheet with a bowline

Photo 59, Through the traveller block, front to back

Photo 60, Through the boom block, back to front

Photo 61, Through the fairlead on the underside of the boom

Photo 62, Through the last block on the boom

Photo 63, Through the cockpit ratchet block

It needs to go through the cockpit block in certain direction, that is, so the ratchet (when switched on), makes a noise as you pull the rope through as if you were sheeting in. You can see the complete mainsheet arrangement in Picture 64 (ignore the weed choked Mirrors in the background). Ideally, you should put a stopper knot in the mainsheet (Photo 65), so you can't lose it completely through the block (although if you have one long enough this is unlikely). Better still, pull the sail out until the boom is about two inches from touching the shroud, and put a stopper knot in the mainsheet just before it goes through the block - this will keep the boom from hitting the shroud, which can never be a good thing.

Photo 64, The completed mainsheet

Photo 65, Tie a knot in it

The kicking strap, such a necessity. Without it, we can't depower the sail when it's too windy. The one that comes as standard with the Laser 2 is pretty pokey, and to be honest, we couldn't figure out how the odd kicking strap block worked, so we replaced it with the one shown in the photos, which was actually found on the rigging DVD from the Laser 2 class association. Their video guide to it is pretty good, and easier to figure out than seeing it in photos, but we'll try.

Photo 66, The kicker system

Photo 67, The kicker system

The class rules allow two double blocks, one with a jammer cleat on. You are not allowed to use any other pulley blocks in the system, and only one line is allowed, but you are allowed to use the line itself to create a multi-ratio system. How do you do that? With clever use of some knots and loops. You are also allowed to use rope protectors. Photos 66 to 68 show the setup of the kicker.

Start with the bowline around the becket on the jammer cleat (on the right). A bowline loop needs to be made around this becket, with one end going through the one pulley sheave on the other block, and then out the other end, ending in a bowline in a thimble. This knot must be as close to the metal thimble as possible - no gaps, or the rope will fall off the thimble. The other end of the line from the first bowline comes up to the thimble bowline, and through the centre of it, acting as a pulley. It then goes back down to the lower jammer block and around a block (not the jammer one), back up and around a block on the top block, then back down to the lower block, and through the block then jammer.

Photo 68, The kicker system

We've indicated the lengths of rope for each measurement in centimetres - this will take some adjustment on your boat depending on the size of your blocks, and how many shackles you use to attach things, so you may need to vary it slightly. It's important to put this all together next to the boat, as you'll need to adjust the position of the knot, as this controls how far apart the blocks will move, but also how close together the blocks will come. This pulley system is quite tricky - but worth the effort.

Photo 69, Attached to the mast

Photo 70, Attached to the boom

Photo 71, The complete kicker

Next, attach the kicker to the fixing point on the bottom of the mast (Photo 69). You may need a selection of shackles to get the kicker angled correctly - we've since changed ours to use a hook, as it's much easier and quicker to take on and off, but in the photo we've shown three blocks to change the angle enough. You can use a twisted shackle instead if you like. It's a good idea to be careful what shackles you use, as we found the shackle key handle was digging into the aluminium groove on the mast. The other end of the kicker should attach to the kicking point on the boom (Photo 70). While you're still rigging, remember to let the kicker run as slack as possible to depower the sail. The complete setup is shown in Photo 71.

12. Rudder and Centreboard

You can't sail a boat without it's foils... well actually, see our Centreboardless and Rudderless articles but it's pretty tricky doing both at the same time (especially in a Laser 2). In any case, it's much easier to sail with them attached. Next, we attached the rudder (Photo 72), by sliding it onto it's pintles. Our rudder is already setup with the lines attached, which you can see more information on in our article on rudder repairs , but basically, we have the bung attached to the rudder with a thin line (so we never forget it, as shown in Photo 73), and a downhaul on the rudder to allow us to pull it down while on the water. It drops onto it's pintles as shown, then the bung is screwed in. To finish off the rudder, insert the tiller into the top of the stop, and remember to pass the tiller extension under the back part of the traveller (Photo 74), but over the front part, as shown. Secure the tiller into the stock with a cotter pin, as shown in Photo 75, making sure this in turn is tied onto the stock.

Photo 72, Attach the rudder

Photo 73, Remember the bung

Photo 74, Add the tiller and tiller extension

Finally, add the daggerboard. On the Laser 2 it drops into the slot, which you won't be able to do on land. Ideally it should have a securing clip like ours on top, with a matching clip line secured somewhere in the cockpit (Photo 77) - ours is on the front. This stops it sinking or floating off when you capsize. Sorry, if you capsize.

Photo 75, Secure the tiller to rudder

Photo 76, The rudder downhaul ready

Photo 77, Add the centreboard and clip it on

The boat is now ready to sail, as shown in Photo 78! You could take it out just like this, and in fact, if it's your first time in a Laser 2, we recommend you do just that. Get used to it for at least a few hours first (unless you're a pretty spectacular sailor), and then come back for the spinnaker rigging part of this guide.

Photo 78, The completed boat (sans Spinnaker)

13. Spinnaker

This is the first rigging guide we've done with a spinnaker in, so sit tight, this is going to drag on a bit longer!

Most Laser 2 models have a classic symmetric spinnaker. There is one particular model that alledgely has an asymmetric spinnaker, but we can't find much conclusive proof of it, and there's also a one off where some nutter took a mast head asymmetric spinnaker from a 29er and modified a Laser 2 to make it fit. At least one of us at Caution Water is a bit jealous of that...

Photo 79, Block at front of the cockpit

Photo 80, Block at back of the cockpit

Photo 81, Block halfway down the cockpit

Chances are, you'll have a standard symmetric spinnaker model. It's a fair sized spinnaker, at 10 metres squared of sail, it'll keep you going at a fair whack down wind. Some models of the Laser 2 have a built in spinnaker chute running from the front of the deck to the front cockpit wall, but not all do, and if you have one that doesn't, you'll have to use a spinnaker bag, like we do. If you have a chute, it only makes a minor difference to this guide, and we'll point out where that is.

Photo 82, Halyard bags (non standard)

For more in depth articles on how to generally rig a spinnaker, see our series on spinnakers - it would be a good start to read that first. This is the Laser 2 version.

To start, we have a long spinnaker halyard/retrieval line. It goes into a sheave on the mast just above the jib block about 3/4 of the way up the mast, travels down through the mast, and exits just below the gooseneck, on the front of the mast (you can just about see it in Photo 9). There is no sheave at the bottom - just a hole. It then passes through a small jammer cleat on the mast (designed only to hold the spinnaker up, shown in Photo 10), and then starts traversing around the cockpit to turn into the retrieval line.

Photo 83, Spinnaker halyard and retrieval line

Photo 84, Spinnaker halyard and retrieval line

Photo 85, Spinnaker halyard and retrieval line

Coming from the jammer, it comes straight down to a small block located at the front of the cockpit - we've put ours on the same fitting as the toestraps. There are several other blocks that it is then designed to go through. For a properly rigged Laser 2, looking at the cockpit from the front of the boat, it travels from the mast, down through the block we've already discussed, along the middle of the cockpit, through a small pulley block attached to the main sheet block spring, through a small pulley block attached to the back of the cockpit (again to the toestrap fixing point), then back along the length of the cockpit along the right hand side, where it's picked up as the retrieval line, and attached to the spinnaker. You can see this in Photos 79, 80, 81, 83, 84 and 85.

Photo 86, Spinnaker halyard and retrieval line (shortened)

Photo 87, Spinnaker sheet block

Photo 88, Attach the halyard

However, on the few occasions we've tried this arrangement, it's caused issues, typically the longer the line in the cockpit, the more chance of it getting snagged on something or sat on (small cockpit, it's difficult to avoid sitting on things). Most asymmetric boats with spinnakers have their halyard/retrieval line only traverse the front half of the cockpit, so that's what we've done in Photo 86. We have the blocks in the same places, but we miss out the block at the back of the cockpit, so it only travels down to the mainsheet and back, and has less opportunity to get trod on or snagged. We're not entirely sure if this is in contravention of the class rules, so check before you make this minor change for class racing.

Photo 89, Partially hoist the spinnaker

Photo 90, Pass the retrieval line through the first patch

Photo 91, Attach the retrieval line to the second patch

The rest of our setup for the spinnaker is fairly standard. We have a pulley block on either side of the boat, attached to the chainplates for the shrouds with a shackle, as shown in Photo 87. The end of the halyard (that hopefully you didn't lose inside the mast as it's a pain to get through again) is attached to the head of the sail with a bowline, as shown in Photo 88, and the sail is then partially hoisted (Photo 89). The retrieval line that has been fed around the cockpit is fed up through the middle of the first patch (Photo 90), and then attached to the second with a bowline (Photo 91), as the Laser 2 has two retrieval patches. This is just to make getting it down a little easier as it has a fairly big belly. When done, hoist the sail up all the way (unless it's too windy).

Photo 92, Match sheet colour to sail corners

Photo 93, Attach the spinnaker sheet with a bowline

Photo 94, Through the jammer blocks and cleats

Photo 95, Through the fairlead

Photo 96, Attach the other sheet

Photo 97, Through the jammer and block

Next, attach the sheets; we have ours colour coded, white rope with red flecks for port, and green flecks for starboard (shown in Photos 92, 93 and 96). As the corners of the sail are colour coded, it makes everything a little easier. The spinnaker sheets are easily attached with a bowline (Photos 93 and 96). The sheet is then fed through the spinnaker jammer blocks just in front of the shroud chain plates (Photos 94 and 97), through the blocks attached to the chainplates, and then through the external bullseye halfway back along the deck (Photo 95), and into the cockpit. You can see the fully hoisted spinnaker in Photo 98. Make sure you rig all of the spinnaker lines outside of the jib sheets - for this reason it's best to have the jib rigged up first.

Photo 98, The spinnaker hoisted and ready

Photo 99, Pack the spinnaker

Photo 100, Practise this lots

Photo 101, The sheets and halyard go in last and stick out

Finally, drop the sail, and stuff it into the spinnaker bag (Photo 99). The belly and retrieval patches should go in first, followed by the three corners last, with the corners and their attached rope sticking out of the mouth of the bag, free and ready to hoist, as shown in PHotos 100 and 101. As we mentioned before, you can get Laser 2 with spinnaker chutes - we tried to modify ours, and attached a fabric spinnaker chute from a Dart 16, which is about 4 feet long and made out of grey shiny material. Unfortunately as it was relatively new, and the spinnaker was also fairly new, there was too much friction between the two, and the spinnaker would only pull in about 2 feet, so it didn't really work. Sailing's all about experimenting :)

There are two final things for the spinnaker - firstly, the spinnaker pole should be attached to the boom. In Photo 4, you can see two grey things, one either side of the boom, about 2/3rds of the way down the boom. These are very similar to short off cuts of fairly narrow guttering, riveted to the boom. The pole pushes through one of these, then is held to the end of the boom using a small elastic bungee tie, similar to those you get on marquees. The other thing is the spinnaker pole uphaul/downhaul. There is a metal fairlead half way up the mast. To this we have attached a length of elastic, which ends in a stainless steel S-hook. This elastic is short enough to be under tension enough so that when it attaches to the small fairlead half way down the spinnaker pole, it pulls the pole up (even when it is under load of the spinnaker). This S-hook also has a length of 5mm rope attached to it, which comes down from the hook, through a v-jammer cleat on the mast (there is one on the front that can be used), and this will now act as a pole uphaul/downhaul. When not in use, clip it onto the spinnaker pole ring on the front of the mast.

Photo 102, Ready to hoist when on the water

So there you have it - this was a long one, as we said - there's lots of things to play with on a Laser 2. There are various different models, but many of them will have the features described above, and if you have one that has anything extra we'd be happy to receive photos to add to this guide. Enjoy sailing your Laser 2!

Fig 1. Get all the gear ready

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Tips for Laser Twos

• Thread starter Bradley
• Start date Feb 10, 2005
• Feb 10, 2005

Admin/Operations

RIGGING A LASER 2 ​ by Chris Foster The rigging manual outlines the basic method of getting the boat from the packages onto the water. Here I have tried to add some refinements to make life easier for those who wish to race. The Laser 2 is rigged very simply, but care over detail saves a lot of disappointment and upset on the race track Mast Check all fittings, pins/rings and tape them all up. Tighten the diamonds (you should be able to push them together with one hand, but only just). Then wire up the diamonds, tighten locking nuts and tape it all up. WD40 the overlapping section in case you need to part the mast. WD40 all moving parts (every time you go sailing). Shorten the spinnaker halyard to minimum. This is best done bit by bit though there is usually far too much. Mark the up position so the helmsman knows when to stop pulling at a glance. Start with just a few mm of rake, but this can be increased in stronger winds. Hull Check all screws/nuts/bolts are tight and secure. If the mast step is not "bomb proof", send back the boat. Check the toe strap ropes are protected by the plastic tubes at the securing points. Ropes Spinnaker sheets should be pre-stretched. Again these are usually supplied too long, but take care not to cut too much off! Mark the spinnaker sheets at the reaching hooks when the pole is just off the forestay with the pole at an average height and the sheet under a lot of strain. Shorten the cunningham line and other controls to minimum. Ensure that all halyards can be stowed securely without risk of escape. Attach an extra block for the spinnaker halyard to the back of the cockpit. You can now add the sails and prepare the boat for the water. Jib The jib shackle at the tack (bottom front corner) must be arranged so that the spinnaker cannot snag on it. Tape it up also. Pull the jib up tight - the crew should pull the forestay (using padding on hands) so that the mast is heaved forward and the jib halyard secured onto the halyard rack. The jib cunningham should be as loose as possible for the wind strength, but there should be no creases in the luff (the leading edge of the sail). The figure of eight knot in the jib should be about one third of the way up the jib sheet - you will not want the jib to go out any further. Mainsail Pull the mainsail up with care. The boat should be head-to-wind and the crew should feed it into the mast and ensure that the boom is completely free. New sails will not need to be pulled up to the highest point of the rack. Pull the sail down onto the gooseneck and put the kicking strap on loosely to ensure it will not come off again. Tie a knot in the outhaul rope where the maximum off wind position is required. Pull the outhaul in for upwind. Attach the cunningham and apply tension to the kicking strap. Spinnaker Tie the halyard to the head of the spinnaker with a bowline loop that ensures it will fly six inches from the mast. Tie the sheets onto the corners with as small a bowline as possible. (Try a figure of eight). Thread the downhaul part of the halyard through the inside of the spinnaker, through a small shackle or D-ring attached to the lower patch and then tie to the top patch. Other Rigging Points The spinnaker catcher at the bows should be bent up. Tape up anything and everything. Mark the dagger board for various positions. Ensure that the area for the trapeze crew's feet is non-stick. Wax as used by board sailors can be applied. UPWIND SAILING by Patrick Bird Good upwind sailing consists of two related arts: going fast and pointing in the right direction. After the start speed becomes very important. Let's look at that first. Boat Speed For what follows I'm assuming medium wind strength-about 5-15 mph. The Rig Use lots of rig tension in all conditions. This straightens the jib luff and enables you to point higher. If you are not hunky enough to swing on the forestay to do this, find a suitable gorilla! The Sails Tweaking the sails during a race is difficult in a Laser 2, so best do it before the start. Jib The angle of jib sheeting is critical for boat speed and pointing ability, but is very difficult to judge when sailing as most of the jib is hidden behind the mainsail. The first adjustment to consider is the fairlead track which controls sheeting angle. This should almost always be set at its most inboard position. The only exception is in very strong winds and choppy water when lightweight crews benefit from a wider sheeting angle. The problem is reduced if you mark the jib sheet at the fairlead when you have decided upon the best sheeting angle. Do this first for "average" conditions - say force 3 and a slight chop. Indicate the sheeting position with a marker pen, and then use brightly coloured whipping twine to make two permanent markers, about an inch apart on each side of the median line. This gives you a free sheeting position and a close sheeting position. The last adjustment to consider for the jib is luff tension which is set using a cord led back to a cleat by the mast step. In theory, tightening the luff pulls the maximum draft of the sail forwards, which is useful in heavy winds. In practice I find it makes little difference, and normally set it fairly slack so that the jib luff is just beginning to break into horizontal wrinkles. Many people use tell-tales located just a few inches aft of the jib luff to help them sail on the wind. These are useful in light and variable winds. In other conditions the feel of the boat is a better guide. Practice sailing with your eyes shut (helms only!). After dumping the crew a few times you'll find it easy. Mainsail To set the mainsail up for the beat a tight foot and loose luff are desirable. Use only enough cunningham to take the horizontal creases out of the sail. A tell-tale trailing from the top batten is quite useful - if air is moving smoothly past the sail, the tell-tale flies freely. When you tension the vang it powers up the mainsail as the leech tightens, until the point where the airflow breaks away from the sail. This is shown by the tell-tale collapsing. Now ease off the vang until the tell-tale flies freely again and you have the correct setting. The Race In anything over 10 mph the Laser 2 should plane to windward. After the start use the free sheeting position, and work hard to achieve maximum speed. If the wind is gusty, play the mainsail to keep the boat flat. Don't play the jib until you are overpowered. The helm and crew should be as close together as possible - this reduces weight in the ends of the boat, so that it rides more easily over the waves. As speed increases move crew weight further aft. This brings the bow out of the water and you accelerate faster. When maximum speed is achieved, try sheeting in a little, and sailing closer to the wind. Above all, keep the boat flat. You can judge when it's flat by glancing over your shoulder at the stern wave. When the wave is symmetrical the boat is flat; when it is heeled you can see one side of the transom (normally the leeward side) digging a groove in the water and slowing you down. Practice sailing the boat flat and don't settle for less than perfection in medium to strong winds. All crew movements should be planned and smoothly executed. Hurried or violent moves slow the boat down and disrupt concentration. When going about the helm should ease the mainsheet slightly and start to luff into the tack as the crew comes off the wire. On the new tack drive off free to regain speed, then sheet in close hauled. Tactics Ideally be in the starting area half an hour before the start. Sail the first beat to assess wind direction and the pattern of shifts. Decide which side of the beat, if either, is favoured by tide or persistent wind shifts. Off the Start You will almost certainly be on starboard tack. Look around and assess your position immediately. Watch the weather quarter, and consider tacking when you can clear the boats behind. If one side of the beat is favoured, go towards it as soon as possible. Otherwise, stay close to the centerline, and tack on heading shifts. If you do not have clear wind, look for it straight away. Try to find a gap in the fleet and either drive off to leeward into it, or if this is not possible, tack onto port. Bear away around sterns rather than tacking repeatedly which loses too much ground. Midbeat The fleet has spread out, you have clear wind and can concentrate on boatspeed. Use landmarks on the shore or the compass to spot windshifts. Other boats also provide information on the wind. Given equal pointing ability, if those behind on the same tack drop to leeward, you are sailing into a heading shift. Your options are to continue, and cover the boats behind, or to go about and attack the boats in front. In an oscillating wind it is usually better to tack. If the shift is persistent, continue into it to take maximum advantage when you eventually tack. Look ahead at the leaders and consider your pre-race information to decide if the shift is persistent. Above all, avoid the temptation to go off on a flier - out on a limb on one side of the beat. Sod's law says that if you are miles away from the fleet the wind will shift in their favour, not yours. Approaching The Windward Mark Most windward marks are port-rounding, and in this case the fleet often lines up on the starboard layline with a hundred yards to go. This is a very boring place to be - you have no chance of improving your position. Much better to approach under the layline, far enough away to have clear wind and the opportunity to benefit from windshifts. Approach the starboard tack parade, and tack to leeward, or in a gap with 20-50 yards to go. If the windward mark is starboard-rounding and you approach on the starboard tack layline, you may be prevented from tacking to round the buoy by following boats on your weather quarter, or by one approaching on port. As right of way boat, you must hold your course and cross ahead before tacking. The opposition meanwhile has ducked round your stern and rounded first. There is something to be said therefore for approaching on port tack a boat length or so to windward of the layline. Finally, start thinking about the next leg of the course before you reach the mark. Where is the next mark? Is the reach broad enough to hoist the spinnaker? Are you going to gybe? All these questions must be answered before rounding. If you are going to hoist the spinnaker, you may well be able to set the pole in the last few yards before rounding. DOWNWIND SAILING by David Leadley Laser 2 sailing is always a matter of team work and this is especially true downwind. A lot of practice is required to sort out that enormous mass of expensive, colourful and extremely delicate sailcloth which gets dangled out of the front of the boat and still sail fast in the right direction. Preparation starts in the dinghy park. Rigging The downhaul should be led up the inside of the sail through a small shackle on the lower patch - this helps reduce friction and prevents the sail being pulled through if the stitching works loose. The halyard should be led back through a pulley at the rear of the cockpit to reduce potential knitting. If you have problems remembering to which corner each sheet should be tied write on the sail with a permanent marker - getting it wrong results in an asymmetric spinnaker which doesn't fly very well! To ensure hoisting and lowering goes smoothly the system must have minimum friction. This can be achieved either by spending a fortune on ball-bearing blocks, or by regular spraying with WD40. This keeps the microblocks turning and so stops them wearing out. The spinnaker pole is one of the few areas of the boat not rigidly controlled. In the standard system the pole is not permanently attached, so you must be careful not to drop it over the side - poles sink fast. However this system is perfectly adequate and is very fast for gybing. An alternative is to have the pole tied onto the uphaul about 2" from its outboard end. This makes the pole easier to put up - an important consideration when sailing in waves, but gybing is more difficult, involving pushing the pole back into the helmsman's face or performing contortions on the foredeck. For either system the pole height should be adjustable between a foot above the foredeck and 30 degrees above the horizontal. Finally use WD40 on the pole ends and check everything works on shore. Hoisting To hoist or not to hoist is a question often asked. If the leg looks tight it is best to sail high first and fly the spinnaker late, on a broader reach. When it is a question of wind strength, there will be no gain if the crew is already trapezing with two sails. However, in case of doubt the kite comes out! On the run the spinnaker should always be flown as it stabilises the boat and lifts the bows. Less well dressed boats fall in by nose-diving anyway. Initially it is easier to hoist on starboard gybe. The pole is first clipped onto the guy (which the helm can uncleat from the side deck), then as the helm pulls the halyard as fast as possible the crew should pull the guy round and cleat it in the reaching hook. The halyard and sheets can be marked to show when the sail is all the way up and give a rough guide for the guy. Finally the crew pulls in the sheet and the boat accelerates rapidly. On port it is very easy for the kite to go the wrong side of the jib. This is best avoided by bearing away onto a broad reach before hoisting and for the crew to pull the sail round the forestay with the sheet. On this gybe the helm must not start hoisting until the pole is up and the crew is ready to control the sail. Flying Once up, the helm should sit to leeward and allow the crew to sit on the windward side deck where it is easier to see the sail. In light weather the helm can also play the jib and keep the spinnaker out of the water, as well as remembering to adjust the mainsheet when the wind shifts! Meanwhile, the crew is constantly trimming the leeward sheet and ready to move the guy. As the wind strength changes the pole height also needs adjusting - lower in light airs to give the sail some shape and higher in a blow. As a rough guide the corners of the kite should be level. As the wind increases and the waves build up the real fun starts! It is probably better for both to sit to windward, than for the helm to keep changing sides. When a gust hits it is the helm's job to keep the boat level - by bearing away and playing the mainsheet. It is also important to keep the spinnaker filling - not too tight causing excessive heeling - but certainly not flapping as this inevitably results in a swim. This is not the time to panic! In heavy gusts you may need to bear away by up to 30 degrees so it is important to head up in the lulls. They are always there but are usually forgotten. When the boat planing the crew needs to take a step backwards and in really windy conditions will find themselves hanging onto the helmsman at the back of the boat. Gybing This is the next real problem. Always gybe from run to run never from reach to reach or you will capsize. Before the gybe pull the pole back, take the guy out of the reaching hook and cleat both sheets. Then gybe the jib and main. The helm should keep the spinnaker filling while the crew gybes the pole. If the sheets are not kept under control they go over the end of the boom, which is a problem! Reduce this problem by cutting the sheet length to a minimum. On shore with the kite in the chute and the pole at maximum height it should just be tight across the boat. Finally there is no point in heading up until the pole is sorted out and the guy in the reaching hook - otherwise you might as well choose a heated pool for your swim. Putting it away This is the time when most mistakes occur. Before doing anything check there's no knots in the halyard, it is not around the crew's foot or tied round the bowcatcher. This can easily be sorted out while still sailing. Dropping is easiest on a broad reach and should be done in plenty of time. Sailing past the leeward mark makes the beat longer! Try never to lower whilst running by the lee, the sheet goes under the bows and you will probably gybe while jumping about the boat. The helmsman puts the tiller between the knees, pulls in the slack on the downhaul (AND ONLY THEN) uncleats the halyard and pulls the spinnaker into the chute as fast as possible. Meanwhile things are more hectic at the front end. The aim of the crew is to fly the kite right down the chute. Initially the guy comes out of the reaching hook and the pole should be moved to give a clean entry into the chute ie pulled back a bit. The sheets should not be allowed to go slack or they will miss the bowcatcher. Only when everything is clearly going the correct side should the pole be detached from the mast end first. Finally check the pole is attached and tidy up the sheets for next time. On windy days or in waves it is often all the helm can do to keep the boat upright so in this case the crew should do everything (no change from normal then!). Again the downhaul must be pulled tight before uncleating and the guy should not be released until the last minute. The leeward sheet sometimes causes problems when dropping on port, but most helms can manage just to keep this under control. Finally the only way to improve the teamwork required for downwind sailing is to keep practising, and to talk through the difficult manoeuvres. CREWING by Bryan Mobbs When looking for advice about crewing, many people concentrate on what to do on specific points of sailing and consider the crew in isolation from the helm. As I'll explain later, this is a very shortsighted view but for those looking for some tips on techniques here are few points: Remember you weight almost as much as the boat so your weight has a fundamental effect, move lightly and carefully and keep the helm and crew weight together, ie trapeze alongside him. When trapezing upwind on flat water have your front foot against the shroud plate. Downwind or in waves move back to the spinnaker fairlead. Set the trapeze heights so that you can easily swing in. Use the toestraps to pull yourself in, but keep your weight on the wire. When not trapezing upwind keep as low as possible to reduce windage. Work the jib in strong winds. If you leave it cleated, as the main is eased you stall the airflow around the main and create extra heel. Work the main on two sail reaches - never cleat it. When the spinnaker is up concentrate on keeping the luff just on the edge of the curl. For a tight spinnaker reach on a windy day make sure you raise the board before you hoist to reduce the heeling force. In light winds remember to lower the pole height well below the horizontal to try and keep the two clews level. While the above points outline some basic principles, they are only half the story. To sail any two-man boat requires a high level of teamwork between helm and crew. Crewing is therefore not solely the preoccupation of the person at the front end (and the reserve also applies!). Crews should not automatically be blamed by the helm when things go wrong (as so often happens). With sailing requiring teamwork, the problem usually arises from a breakdown in the required partnership. As an example, consider the gybe mark on a windy day. How often do you successfully gybe, head off to the next mark with the spinnaker flogging, then promptly capsize? Most helms blame the crew for not gybing the spinnaker quickly enough and getting it filling. The capsize actually resulted from the helm gybing from reach to reach, rather than from run to run. In a Laser 2 on a windy day the crew physically cannot set the pole on a tight reach with the spinnaker flogging and a capsize becomes inevitable. Making up a little ground lost to leeward is far quicker than righting an inverted boat! I'm not going to describe how to tack or gybe a boat. For all boat handling skills teamwork is vital. Find a drill that works for you and your helm and stick to it, remembering that you will have to use variations on your basic method for different wind and water conditions. The key to being above to execute all manoeuvres successfully is preparation and anticipation. Preparation comes from sailing regularly with your helm, and anticipation comes from communication. You should be talking to your helm regularly while sailing to find out what your "team" is about to do. You should never find yourself in an unexpected situation and therefore rushed into some manoeuvre for which you are not prepared. For example when sailing upwind on port, discuss what you are going to do when another boat approaches on starboard (as they will eventually). Are you going to bear away behind them or tack? Even if the answer is "Don't know" at least you are prepared for a possible crash tack. The crew should be the second set of eyes and ears in the boat and should be anticipating situations and warning the helm. They have a vital contribution to make to the boat's performance and provide far more than moveable ballast upwind and a spinnaker trimmer downwind. The Laser 2 is a very rewarding boat to crew with the right teamwork, so educate your helm today! HEAVY WEATHER SAILING- - by Tim Davison There are a few things that are peculiar to a Laser 2 and it is those I want to look at here. Firstly don't assume that you have to be heavy to win in very strong winds. In fact, the only time you need weight is in medium conditions when the heavyweights can power away with the sails pulled right in and the lightweights have to spill wind. Tuning You need to set up the boat fairly carefully in heavy winds. Rake the mast well back (the shrouds should be two or three holes up at the back of the plate); you will then have to add shackles to make the jib halyard long enough. Put on as much tension as you dare by pulling on the forestay while your crew takes up the slack in the jib halyard. It's best to stop with the mast just bending slightly forward - you'll go faster with more rig tension but eventually something will break. The diamonds are irrelevant. They seem to do very little. Set up the mainsail with just a little belly in the foot (so you can put your fist between the sail and the boom) and pull on the Cunningham very tightly. The vang is your main de-powering device. You want it very tight indeed upwind, and the tighter you have it the faster you will go. Unfortunately, something will break if you overdo it so you are just going to have to experiment with this. Downwind you must ease the vang or you will definitely break something or cause the boom to hit the water which will capsize you and/or break the rig. If it's really howling move the jib fairleads outboard so that the wind can whip through the slot a lot quicker. Lastly, make sure that your spinnaker pole works well because if the pole keeps coming off the mast or the sheet comes out of the end you are probably going to fall in while you are sorting it out. Technique Now to technique. Upwind the mainsheet is your primary control. Play it in and out all the time using it to keep the boat flat. i.e. if the boat heels at all let the mainsheet out and vice versa. You should be constantly trying to get the mainsheet in without the boat heeling, and you will of course be hiking flat out with your crew on as low a wire as he/she can manage without hitting the waves. The crew should also work the jib sheet all the time so that if a big gust comes through the sheet is dumped out a bit and you can plane off. You should also be working the tiller over every wave - this will really help the boat to get to windward. In fact there is no purpose in trying to point in heavy winds, just go for speed and once you've got speed you'll find that you can point back up again. The key thing to avoid is smashing into the waves and stopping. You can't steer well unless the boat is doing at least 4 knots. Before going onto the reach the helmsman should ease out a bit of vang. If you find you can't do this it's probably worth the crew coming in for a minute to release it and then going out again while you bear away round the windward mark. Get going and then assess whether or not you should be flying a spinnaker - if you are already going flat out without the kite and don't need any more power then there is no point in hoisting more sail. It is absolutely essential to keep the boat upright by using the main sheet. As soon as you let the boat heel you wind find it's impossible to steer because the rudder is very small and cavitates. On the run you must hoist the spinnaker because this stabilises the boat. Once it's up both helm and crew should be as far back in the boat as possible - preferably with the crew kneeling on the floor with one knee against each side of the cockpit and the helmsman sitting out on the stern deck. We find it best in really strong winds for the crew to do all the spinnaker work and the helmsman just to concentrate on keeping the boat upright - that is really all he can do and is the most important job. You should practise this sort of spinnaker hoist and drop in lighter winds so that the crew gets the hang of it. Sailing in strong winds in a Laser 2 is mind-blowingly exciting and rewarding and it's the heavy weather races that will stay in your memory when you've forgotten all about the light wind ones. LIGHT WEATHER SAILING by Chris Bellingham So you've arrived at the club and there is no wind. Not even a gentle zephyr to propel you around the pond. There is nothing. Conversations centre on the skill required to get the boat round the course then... and today they will pass it off as pure fluke that they get beaten every time it goes light. They always do. It will take a while to rock the boat out to the start, so you will have to be afloat early this week. The cover comes off the boat. You don't believe in playing with the standard rigging for different weather conditions - you set the mast rake to 30cm ( by putting a spirit level on the foredeck just in front of the mast and a weight hanging off the main halyard, and measuring from the gooseneck to halyard) - and there it has stayed ever since. You have the diamonds as tight as you can, and when the jib goes up, the rig tension is such that with your crew bouncing on the forestay the jib halyard will just go on to the hook. The top batten is left fairly tied tight into the sail, so you needn't worry about that either. The only thing done differently today is that the lightweight spinnaker and jib sheets must be found. The boat is on the beach and you try to assess the temperature while walking to the changing rooms - it's warm now, but it will be very much cooler if the wind does arrive. Looking around there are several crews that will be caught out if the wind freshens since they are not taking their harnesses with them either. At least your crew doesn't need to be reminded that he should always be ready for a change in the weather. Back to the boat and the sails go up. First the jib. A quick check to see that the head hasn't twisted round the luff wire, then thread the jib cunningham but don't tension it. The jib fairleads are at the inboard end of the tracks, as always. Right, now the main. Up it goes, but not quite to the top of the rack. You let the main down until that nasty crease down the luff disappears. (If you have an older system this could be got round by putting a second shackle at the top of the main). The outhaul is pulled in to give a couple of inches gap between the boom and sail, and the vang is attached, but no tension put on. (Just having it there helps the top batten flick over when tacking or gybing). So down the slip and into the water. You are one of the first afloat, but that will give time to watch the conditions at the start line. Everyone has their own way of getting to the start on a day like this, but your crew stands on the foredeck holding the diamonds and repeatedly heels the boat over then hauls it up again. This propels you quite quickly if your sails are set for a reach. It demonstrates why the rules say that roll tacks or gybes must not be exited faster than they were entered. Having reached the starting area, you watch any oscillations of the wind, such as it is, and see if there is any consistency in which side of the course it breathes in from - both these are difficult to spot, but the oscillations tend to be regular, and if they can be used to work your way to the side of the beat that the breaths are coming from, you should be well away. Still the ten minute has gone and the five is soon, so the time has come to get to the middle of the line while illegal propulsion can still be used. Once the five has gone, you can't risk being more than a few yards from the line due to the time it will take you to get back, and the middle gives you the choice of which end to go for as the start draws near. From your studies of the wind fluctuations you are in the best possible position to guess which will be the favored end of the line. However, clear wind is very important to you, and if the favored end is very crowded it may pay you to start further down the line, and hope that the clear air and freedom of movement will allow you to make up the extra distance, particularly if this allows you to sail towards the side of the beat that you expect the wind to come from. At the moment the line is very starboard biased, but the rest of the fleet are massing at that end. Because you have spent the time watching the oscillations of the wind, you know that it will lift those on port tack in a couple of minutes, and the port side of the beat is where today's wind has been filling in from - so start from the port end and sail off on starboard until the wind swings. The gun goes, and you are off. There's a commotion at the other end of the line. One or two of the boats have been heeled over and brought upright with a big pump, and they are now moving better than the other boats around them. It is being pointed out to the offenders that this is against the rules, but the air is so disturbed that few are making progress at this moment. You think yourself lucky to be out of that, and ignore it, concentrating on getting the best out of your boat. You sail the boat very free to keep way on at all times. This is particularly important when sailing in disturbed air, but generally you would expect to point lower than all the boats around you. To try and reduce wetted area you keep the weight well forwards - in these conditions it often helps for your crew to sit on the foredeck, if the airflow round the jib is not disturbed (and he doesn't fall off), while you sit in the spinnaker bag. However the boat should not be heeled more than necessary to allow the sails to hang in the correct shape, since heeling the boat increases the weather helm. A quick look around will show you many different ways to trim the boat for these conditions. Someone in a boat near you sneezes. Nothing special in that, but the boat concerned stops - it clearly shows how easy it is for a sudden movement to knock the wind out of the sails, and it will take a long time to restore the airflow and get away on again. In front of you is a patch of disturbed water. Just as you had predicted there is a breath filling in from this side. With it will come the swing in the wind that is due, and then it will be time to tack. You know that it is quite possible to propel the boat round the course by this means, so in the light of the rule book you take great care not to come out of a tack faster than it was entered. Instead you sail the boat round, maintaining its speed, with a quick flick to flip the top batten across. You keep watching the windshifts as you sail up the beat, tacking on the bigger ones, and keeping towards the side the breaths are coming from. Watching the boats around the course gives you a good idea of what the wind is doing over other parts of the course, both in direction and strength, and what you can expect next. As the windward mark is rounded you remain very still, simply easing the sheets as you go round. It pays to sail higher on the reaches to pick up any breaths of wind as they fill in from the windward side of the course. Some boats are hoisting spinnakers, but the boats are stopping while the helm and crew move about to put it up, and the sail doesn't fill - it only hangs with its foot in the water. You are still sitting still, keeping the weight well forward to lift the wide flat area around the transom clear of the water, and heeling the boat ever so slightly to keep the main and jib hanging in a nice shape. Rounding the gybe mark you don't make a full bodied roll gybe since that would be illegal propulsion again, but just a little roll with a quick flick to get the top batten across. The second reach of today's triangle is much broader, and you have to keep an eye on the burgee to see if a gybe is required, since sailing by the lee is very slow. If the boat is heeled too much the burgee will always lie - saying you are on a beam reach - it's a side effect of gravity. The wind is too light for tell tails on the shrouds to fly, but with practice you can feel the movement of the air on your face. It may only be a very small course, but it has taken you almost an hour to get you this far, and there are some members of the fleet. who in windy conditions are very competitive, who are only part way up the first beat. Looking up to windward there is another patch of breeze making its way across the water towards you, and this one looks bigger, and should last longer. Boats behind have hoisted spinnakers which are just filling. Everyone seems to have the pole too high - the corners of the foot should be at about the same height - so you set the pole so that the outer end is just one or two feet above the water. It looks low, but the two bottom corners of the sail are now at the same height, and your spinnaker fills before others do. You can also see the big creases from the chute patches on many spinnakers. You use thinner rope than most for the halyard - some remove the downhaul and when dropping, gather the spinny in below the jib, and push it into the chute from the cockpit. In this weather it is even more important than usual to stay between the boats behind and the finish. Even then you could sail into a big hole and have to watch most of the fleet sail round you, so it is critical to keep concentrating on the situation until after crossing the finishing line. So you keep a wary eye on those behind, whilst still trying to make good use of the shifts. With the slight increase in wind strength, your crew has had to sacrifice his position sunbathing on the foredeck for the discomfort of the spinnaker bag, while you are also keeping your weight forward. Since there is now enough wind for the sails to fill without the boat being heeled, you concentrate on keeping the boat plumb upright. It is also possible to point slightly higher, but you still find most boats pointing even higher - but not moving so well. The sails have also got some creases in, which could usefully be removed. It is not windy enough for the jib cunningham to be needed to take creases out of the jib luff, but the mainsail has the cunningham tensioned to take the creases out there. A little outhaul is pulled on, to keep about two inches between the boom and the sail, and a little vang so that the leech of the main is just starting to twist. Back onshore, you prime yourself for this week's round of hard luck stories - those big holes, the completely unpredictable windshifts, the poor boatspeed, and all the rest of them. There is a greater element of chance in the game on a light weather day, but you know that there are good reasons why, more often than not, it is the same faces at the front of the fleet on days like this. THE JERRY COLLYER GUIDE TO HEAVY WEATHER LASER 2 SAILING In The Beginning I started Laser 2 sailing in 1985. At the time I had not sailed a trapeze boat before, and I can clearly remember being lapped twice at Datchet by the seemingly all-conquering teams such as Jo and Cathie Burnie, Patrick and Virginia Bird, and the Doyen himself Jeremy Atkins, with a youthful David Leadley on the wire. Most people have experienced racing were you seem to be 1/4 mile behind in the light stuff, and when it blows you're still righting the boat when the "experts" are pontificating in the bar. In 1993, and in spite of 8 years more or less continuous Laser 2 sailing I still seem to be distinctly pedestrian when it is light, however I think the Laser 2 is without equal the most exciting and rewardable dinghy to sail in a breeze. Be Prepared Boat preparation is the first thing that is vital to fast and fun heavy weather sailing. Over the last 10 years the class association and the builder have done a lot to change what was a fairly fragile boat to the reasonably robust object we all sail today. Make Steering Easy Starting at the back of the boat, it is crucial to have a rudder on which you can rely. The gorilla tiller and extension for example is substantially more solid than the standard tiller, because of reduced slop in the tiller the boat is much easier to steer in waves. The tiller itself must be short enough so that you can sit out right at the back of the cockpit and still bear away without the tiller fouling your knees. (My tiller is 1100 mm long, and the extension is 900 mm long). The next crucial thing is that the rudder is right down, and stays down while sailing fast. The main problem is that there is some creep of the rope in the cleat that holds the blade down, the Gorilla tiller is supplied with a cleat near the stock, this reduces the length of rope, and hence some of the creep, but does not eliminate it. For the past 3 years I have sailed with the blade held down with a 2:1 purchase, part of that purchase having 6 parts of 6mm shock cord. This is elastic enough to take up any creep in the rope, but not so elastic that my rudder blade lifts on a really fast reach. If your boat is one of those with plastic gudgeons, then take them off and replace them with the new metal variety. While discussing foils perhaps I should touch on the subject of the slot gasket, I accept that the current supplied Laser material is far from ideal, and to try to rectify this I replaced mine with some rather high quality doormat loaned to me by a prominent member of the Laser 2 Class Association. I was most impressed with the fit, and the board was quite immovable after my sister and I had stood on it. It was slightly more impractical, and certainly not fast when I had to stand on the foredeck to raise the board screaming down the first reach. Get Your String Sorted Laser 2s have received a lot of criticism for what are deemed to be difficult control systems. I have never understood the arguments against what we have as: All the boats are the same. The whole ethos of one-design sailing is that those who win races, win by investing time on the water, developing the skill to operate the system, and not by investing cash and "boat-bimbling" time in the dinghy park. Important String The two most important control lines are the jib and the mainsheet. As far as the jib sheet is concerned the crew must have whatever they are most comfortable with, but try to use as small a diameter as is practical (I use 8mm Marston rope). The length of sheet must be long enough to hold on to while trapezing from the back edge of the cockpit. Some crews prefer to tie the end of the sheet to the trapeze wire. Over the years people have changed jib fairlead positions, and some have even changed the positions of their tracks. I was most gratified to see at this year's nationals that even the Irish Youth Squad (whose boats have been altered to the maximum tolerance allowed) have their jib fairlead in exactly the same position as mine, set when the boat left the factory two years ago. The mainsheet on my boat is also in 8mm Marston. I have allowed myself the luxury of a Harken ratchet block, available as standard on the top specification Laser 2. I never cleat the main in heavy weather. To perform a one handed operation I hold the mainsheet in my tiller hand, when I need two hands to hoist the spinnaker I hold the mainsheet between my teeth (however as I am a dentist by profession I would recommend anyone who has crowned front teeth to wear a gum shield before doing this) and steer with my knees while standing up. Less Important String The vang comes in for more grief from the anti-Laser 2 fraternity than any other part of the boat, there is relatively little that you can do about it technically, apart from reversing it; putting the cleat part on the boom, is one option, which gives you increased purchase, and makes it easier for the helm to adjust. I put my cleat back the normal way round two years ago, after repeatedly accidently pulling the vang key out of the boom. However if you are a small helm it is probably an advantage to have the vang cleat on the boom. The rope for the vang needs to be such that it does not come uncleated. The rope that is supplied is adequate (5mm multibraid, prestretched); however, it needs to be longer than supplied so that it can be adjusted by the helm. Laser 2s go fast upwind in a blow with vang on, they are also a lot easier to sail. Either you must have a crew with serious arm power to put it on at the leeward mark, or you do it yourself. I sail the boat upwind from the leeward mark until we are settled, and then I stall the boat by luffing sharply, this then allows me to jump into the centre of the boat and heave on the vang (the crews stays on the wire all the while this is going on). The next vital bit of string is the outhaul. When you are overpowered upwind it is essential to have the outhaul on really hard, hard enough so that the boom is bent in compression by the outhaul alone. I find that getting the outhaul on is easiest done by the crew, who should come into the boat and pull hard on the length of outhaul between the cleat and the end of the boom. When sufficient tension has been applied the slack can be taken up with the other hand pulling through the cleat. As you tension the outhaul you firm up the leech of the bottom third of the sail, which means as you ease the mainsheet the top two-thirds of the sail twists off while the bottom third keeps the boat driving without the excessive leverage. (If you don't do this the top part of the sail knocks you flat). The other thing that helps is putting the cunningham hard on, this pulls on the top part of the leech, which takes the tension out of it and encourages twist. I tension the cunningham by sending in the boat and reaching forward. If you haven't got my reach then it is better to get the crew to pull it on at the leeward mark. So now you know what you want, but how do you get it? First of all the class rules allow you to vary the purchase of these two controls as long as one bit of rope is used, and it is dead ended at one point and passes without running through any other fitting to the cleat. This does not leave many options, and all you have to decide is what rope to use. I would recommend that 3mm spectra is used for both outhaul and cunningham, it stretches very little and so once you have set it, it will not move, a small diameter rope also has the advantage that it can be used with lots of purchase and minimal resistance. I have a simple traveller arrangement which allows the block on the boat to be raised or lowered vertically but always in the centre line. Time On The Water There is a difference between practising for safe and fast sailing in heavy weather, and frank "boat-bimbling". One of the major reasons that people win in heavy air races is that they have practised in extreme conditions and are comfortable when the going gets tough. Sailing With 2 Sails Sailing with two sails is all about keeping the boat flat and as much power on as possible. Upwind There are two schools of thought about sailing upwind. The first is to free off and sail fast, and its protagonists say that the distance lost in not pointing high is more than gained by less leeway made by the boat travelling faster through the water. (As the boat travels faster through the water the daggerboard is more efficient). In a gust you ease the main and jib sheets and go for speed. There is no doubt that this works well in waves with a big crew weight. I have found that with a light crew weight the tendency is for you to have to ease the sheets so much that you stop. The second is to go all out for pointing and stuffing into the wind. In a gust you don't have to ease the sails very much but luff the boat so that it almost stalls. This sacrifices very little to leeward in the gusts, and as the breeze eases you can bear away again. I have found it an invaluable technique particularly with a small crew. You can use it tactically to climb on boats to leeward to get clear of a lee bow, and to make a mark that you would otherwise have to tack for. Having the outhaul very hard on helps a great deal with this technique. Using either technique it is easier to luff going up the face of a wave and to bear away down the back. Two Sail Reach As you bear away on to a reach you must move the crew weight back. Any boat with very little rocker will nose dive as you bear away; Australian 18ft skiff sailors call this moving to the "Back of the Bus". The other vital thing is to ease the vang, I do this by easing the rope on the approach tack to the mark. If you don't you will find the boom end catching in the water, then you're stuck unable to ease the main, then you're swimming. For more power I ease the outhaul and the cunningham, if I do this it is best done before bearing away. Tacking Tacking is easy for the helm, the trick is to pick a spot on a reasonably flat bit of water, and wait for a bit of a lull. For the crew tacking is a bit more difficult. The best technique by far is the wire to wire tack. As soon as the helm is about to tack the crew supports their weight on the handle and unhooks, keeping the jib sheet cleated. (You do need arm strength to do this, but it is far from a male only technique). As the helm initiates the tack, the crew eases the sheet and comes into the boat. The crew then immediately flies across the boat and jumps out on the new tack holding the trapeze handle in one hand, and the jib sheet in the other hand. They can then sheet in before finally clipping on again after the boat has accelerated on the new tack. Spinnaker Up! This is it, pulling on the kite halyard on your Laser 2 is like pressing the hyperspace button. Not so long ago there were only a few boats that could fly the spinnaker on a really hairy reach. Most people can do it now, but those who do it well still stand to make a huge number of places. Hoisting This can be broken down into several stages, putting the pole out, pulling the sail up, and setting the guy. Putting the pole up is the tricky bit, if you have a big crew it is easy for them to reach the D-ring on the mast, but you then run a serious risk of nose diving with the crew weight forward in a big sea. Small crews conversely find it difficult to put the pole in, as they cannot reach the D-ring, but have the advantage of less weight forward. You can minimise the risk of nose diving by putting the pole out on a close reach as you round the mark, and later bearing away, moving crew weight aft. With small crews you must practise holding the boat steady downhill to allow the crew to stand on the foredeck so they can reach the D-ring. In my boat the hoisting is always done by the helm, I stand up and steer with my knees and hoist with two hands. In extreme conditions I sit on the side of the boat, and hold the tiller and mainsheet in one hand, freeing the other to pull the halyard. As I am hoisting my crew pulls hard on the guy if it is a starboard hoist. On port hoist the crew pulls on the sheet, as soon as the sail has cleared the forestay (remember the crew is pulling it round) the crew should pull on the guy as if it were a starboard hoist. The port hoist is theoretically the most difficult; however with good timing it is just as easy. Reaching Here's where it get's tricky, and where you have to have your rudder right down. The next thing to remember is that the rudder is the least important way of steering the boat downhill, you should be steering using: Sails At all times make sure that the kite is filling, if you are making the mark then the jib should be sheeted in, if it is really tight it may help to ease the jib and let it fly. If you want to head up sheet the main in. (Don't worry about oversheeting the main as the sheeting angle is much tighter than you think). To bear away, just ease the main. Beware if you are really tight on the mark, you may have to let the boat heel, see below, and let the main flog. If you are completely out of luck and a monstrous gust hits while screaming along on your ear, the only thing to do is sit out real hard, get the crew to ease the spinnaker a little and hope! Trim With any short boat that has a spinnaker set on a long pole you run into problems pretty quickly if you hold the boat dead flat whatever the weather. This is particularly pronounced on a boat like the international 14, but in fact the Laser 2 is just the same. Sail flat and the boat will instinctively bear away, let it heel and it will luff up. Rudder Try to just let the rudder move as if you do pull on it hard at speed you will just stall the blade. If this happens you're in real trouble, without steerage way until you restore laminar flow over the blade. You have to just practice this over and over again, until you get it right, you will swim a lot until you get it sorted, but while you are upright you will have a lot of fun! Running There is never an excuse for not hoisting the spinnaker on a run, no matter how hard it is blowing. First, it is easier if you get the crew weight aft and well spread laterally (sit on opposite sides of the boat). The spread of lateral weight increases the moment of inertia and helps to prevent rolling. If you are not sailing a completely square run, ie: a very broad reach, you can put the crew on the wire while the helm sits on the lee side. Once you are used to it, sitting under the boom while the boat is tearing along is not so frightening, as you can easily shift your weight to the windward side in an emergency. The fun starts in waves. There is a tendency for the boat to nose dive, if it happens you are not a goner as long as you hold the boat absolutely flat. Now you know why I keep the moment of inertia as large as possible. An awful lot of water comes in through the spinnaker chute, and it will go out through the self bailer. The other way to nose dive is to sail the boat straight down the face of a wave, running square to the wind and the trough. The Laser 2 is very short, and has a low freeboard. If you steer it at a solid wall of water it will try to go through it. You have to either luff or bear away if you are to avoid "situation submarine". Most people tend to luff down the wave face to avoid the wave in front. Unfortunately if you keep on luffing you end up having to gybe at the end of the leg. This is not only slow, but also increases the chance of a capsize. I am very keen on bearing away down a big wave. You have to warn the crew so they pull the guy aft to keep the kite filing. As a safety precaution I keep a hand on the boom to feel for the pressure of an involuntary gybe. You have to luff as the boat slows down in the trough, or if you feel an imminent gybe. Gybing The first thing to remember about the gybe is that it is easier to gybe the faster you are going; the reason is that you reduce the apparent wind. So the technique is luff a little as you approach the gybe mark, to get speed on and then bear away quickly so as to not lose speed. In waves you gybe at peak velocity on the wave face. Just before the gybe when it is really windy I get the crew to pull the kite a long way back on the guy, so that on the new gybe the spinnaker is hidden behind the main, and is not in a position to catch a stray gust, and tip you in. As you steer into the gybe you often have to bear away a lot to get the main to cross the boat, the problem with this is that as the boom comes across onto the new gybe you are instantly on a beam reach, and need the weight on the wire, and not in the middle of the boat sorting the kite out. The solution is to shift the tiller back a little as the boom comes across so the boat is on a dead run on the new gybe. Another trick I have used on triangular courses where the first reach is broad and the second is tight is to sail high of the rum line on the first reach, and gybe before reaching the mark. This allows you to round the mark tightly and lose minimal distance to leeward on the crucial first bit of the second reach. The Drop You need to allow adequate time to drop, you will lose miles running past the mark with the spinnaker caught under the boat, but will only lose a small amount if you drop early. (Remember another boat charging in for an overlap on a late drop will be under pressure, the slightest foul up will allow you to sneak through to windward). Unless it is really hairy I always drop the spinnaker. Dropping on a reach I try to leave the crew on the wire until after the kite is in the chute, they can release the guy from out on the wire. This allows you to sail high on a fast reach, which is useful if you have not been able to make the mark with the spinnaker up. In a real blow, and in big waves I just concentrate on steering and let the crew bring the kite and the pole down in their own time. by Jerry Collyer  

• Jul 2, 2005

Fletcher309

My Jib halyard went up into the mast any tips for how to retrive easier.... PLZ email me at [email protected] Thanks  

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• Vanguard Sailboats Manuals
• Rigging instructions

Vanguard Sailboats Laser 2 Rigging Instructions

• page of 9 Go / 9

Table of Contents

• Unpack and Identify All the Major Parts
• Rigging the Mast
• Diamond Wires
• Trapeze Wires
• Upper Mast and Main Halyard
• Stepping the Mast
• Installing the Boom
• Rigging the Lines and the Sails
• Rigging the Spinnaker and Spinnaker Equipment
• Spinnaker Pole and Pole Trolley
• Spinnaker Halyard
• Spinnaker Sheets
• Rigging the Sails
• Raising the Sails
• Assemble the Rudder and Tiller
• Sail Number Applications
• Part Locator Diagram

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• 1.1.1 Check The Weather
• 1.1.2 Pack Your Gear
• 1.2.1 Detach the Trailer/Dolly
• 1.2.2 Unpack Gear and Check
• 1.2.3 Start Rigging Your Laser
• 1.2.4 Attach the Rudder & Tiller
• 1.2.5 Tidy Up
• 1.2.6 Launching Your Dinghy
• 2 Laser Sailing Dinghy De-rigging
• 3 More Information

Before you head out on the water laser sailing, you have to rig your dinghy, and if you have never done this before, it may seem a little overwhelming.

There is no real order in which you should rig your Laser sailboat. There are many combinations and ways of rigging a laser sailboat, and that shown below is simply one combination. Talk to a few people as you rig up, have a few goes yourself, and you’ll work out which way works best for you.

It’s always good to rig up a few times at home before you head out laser sailing if it’s practical and safe to do so. This is recommended so that you are confident that you know what goes where, and so that you can remember how you tie the knots .

Rigging a Laser Sailboat Steps

As mentioned, there are many different ways when rigging a Laser sailboat. Below is 1 suggestion of the rigging sequence…

Before You Leave Home

Check the weather.

Check the forecast before you leave home, and look outside to check for yourself. Safety should be your first priority, so if the conditions are not suitable for your level of experience, then you may want to reconsider heading out.

Pack Your Gear

If you have been out sailing before, it’s a good idea to pack all your gear away neatly so that it is easy to find, This means that when you pack all your gear to head out sailing the next time, you will know where everything is and you won’t forget anything.

There is nothing worse than getting down to the waterfront and then start to rig your laser sailboat only to find that you have forgotten something crucial (eg. your sail or life jacket), and have to head home before you have made it out onto the water.

It’s easy to get excited about heading out for a great day on the water. However, before you leave, take a minute to check that you have everything packed.

When You Arrive At The Waterfront

Detach the trailer/dolly.

If the trailer has to be detached from the car when parked, do this 1st. Then slide the dolly/trolley off the trailer, and position it relatively close to where you will launch, with the bow pointing into the wind.

Unpack Gear and Check

Unpack all your other laser sailing gear , including sail, ropes, foils, and spars , and lay it out to make sure it is all there.

Some people like to get dressed in their sailing gear before they start rigging their boat. If you get dressed at the start, then as soon as you have finished rigging, you can hit the water immediately. It also means that your sail won’t flog as much and cause any extra wear and tear and that your boat won’t accidentally tip over while on the dolly… which may happen especially if there is quite a strong breeze blowing.

Start Rigging Your Laser

Lay the boom on the deck. Feed the mainsheet rope through the blocks and eyelet on the boom, and through the block in the cockpit and the traveler .

It is advisable to tie a figure 8 knot in both ends of the mainsheet rope so that it doesn’t pull through when out on the water. At the boom end, this is so that the mainsheet can be pulled fully on so that it is in the block-to-block position. At the other end so that it doesn’t pull through the mainsheet block in the center of the cockpit.

Leave it loose and un-cleated. Feed the outhaul rope along the boom also.

Next to the hull, lay the sail out and install the battens. Connect the 2 mast sections, and feed it up through the mast sleeve in the sail, making sure the boom spigot is in line with the sail.

Also be careful to ensure that there is no mud or dirt on the bottom of the mast (this may over time cause abrasion between the bottom of the mast and the mast step, which may eventually compromise the integrity of the hull).

Ensuring there are no overhead obstructions (including power lines), from the bottom ½ of the mast, lift it up almost vertical (slightly leaning into the breeze may make it easier to handle), and slot it gently into the mast step hole. This may prove to be a little awkward, so obtain assistance if required

With the mast in place, slot the boom into the mast, and tie off the outhaul to the sail clew using a bowline, as shown in the knots section. Then attach the clew tie-down , making sure to tie it underneath the outhaul.

Attach the vang and cunningham . Tie a small loop in the end of the cunningham and feed the end of the vang pin through it. This will keep the eye of the cunningham down low near the deck, stopping it from riding up (see photo below). Then feed the cunningham through the 2 eyelets in the rope itself, then down to the eyelet on the deck, and run it back to the cleat in the cockpit. Tie a bowline in the end for easy gripping when on the water.

A knot ( bowline or figure 8 knot ) in the end of the cunningham is essential, as it is the only thing preventing the rig from becoming completely detached from the hull when capsized.

Attach the Rudder & Tiller

Attach the rudder , making sure that the lift stop clicks into place, and leave it in the fully up position. Insert the tiller and fasten the retaining pin, ensuring that the tiller is underneath the traveler.

Lay the centerboard on the deck. Put in the drain plug in the stern of the hull.

With the mainsheet eased right out, the boat should sit quite contently while you tidy up your gear, sail bag, etc. However, if there is a breeze, be careful that your dinghy will not tip over while it is on the dolly, or that the boom will swing around and hit someone.

If it is windy, this is probably not the best time to be going out for a sail if you are a beginner.

If you are not already dressed in your wetsuit, rash vest , life jacket, hat , sunscreen , glasses, shoes , etc, now is the time to do so. It’s a good idea to get someone to keep an eye on your boat and laser sailing gear if you have to go to the change rooms.

Launching Your Dinghy

With the mainsheet eased, carefully wheel the dolly around, down the ramp, and into the water. Keep the laser sailboat pointing into the wind as much as possible, however as long as the mainsheet is eased you should be able to manage ok as long as the wind is less than 90° to the hull. If possible, do not allow the wind to exceed 90° to the hull.

Wheel the laser dolly into the water until it is fully submerged, and float the boat off the dolly. If you are on your own you may have to run the boat up onto the beach so that you can pull the dolly back out of the water (be careful not to damage the drain plug on the bottom of the hull, or the hull itself). Otherwise, get someone to pull your dolly out for you.

With the boat pointing into the breeze, slide the centerboard into the fin case so that it is most of the way up, but low enough so that the boom clears the fin when it swings around. Run the elastic retaining strap up to the eyelet at the bow and back to the centerboard or mast (the tension in the elastic creates friction so that the centerboard will remain in place when capsized ).

If you are in deep enough water, you will be able to push the rudder down or pull the rope attached to the rudder head, to rotate the rudder to its fully down position. If this can’t be achieved, then you may have to wait until you push the boat into deeper water to do this. Once the rudder is down, tie off the line, and make sure that you do not hit it on the bottom. Take every precaution to protect your foils.

Now, you’re ready for your 1st sail .

Laser Sailing Dinghy De-rigging

When de-rigging, simply reverse the order of the above steps.

If possible thoroughly wash all your gear in fresh water and dry all your gear before storage.

Also take care when folding the laser sail to not create a crease in the sail window, as it will weaken and eventually crack.

More Information

As mentioned, there are many different ways of rigging a Laser sailboat. Some have to do with personal preference of rigging order. Some differences also have to do with different types of gear and sailing accessories that you may have (eg. turbo kit, wind instruments, etc). We can’t cover every possible scenario here, so just have a go and see what works for you.

Also, make sure to check out the video below which talks some more about rigging a Laser sailboat, and enjoy your laser sailing :)

Previous: Sailing Knots

Next: Your First Sail

In the Laser cunningham and vang photo there appears to be extra ropes attached for the outhaul could you please describe what was done to achieve that

Hi Kyle The outhaul is a separate rope that runs from the clew of the mainsail up and around the mast and through a cleet to lock it off at the desired tension. It is separate from the cunningham and vang. You can see more about it here . I hope that this helps to answer your question. If not, let me know. cheers

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How to Rig a Laser Sailboat

Last Updated: February 1, 2024

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 25 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 149,046 times. Learn more...

This is a step by step instruction on how to rig the original laser.

• The sail should now be flapping in the wind.

• If you have cleated the outhaul properly, the boom should now stay up on its own.

• Test it by pulling up on the rudder. Then put on the tiller by sliding it into the space on the top of the rudder. Once it's in, insert the pin to hold it there.
• Tie the dagger board with a long loop of elastic to the eye at the very front of the boat.
• Verify the elastic creates enough friction that the daggerboard will stay up or down (even when you invert the boat).

Community Q&A

• If this is a new boat, rig it entirely, on land, and test out all the parts. Pull on the mainsheet and such, in order to make sure nothing breaks. This way, you're not stuck on the water when a part of the boat fails. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Flake the main sheet twice, once on hull then lastly inside cockpit so the bitter end is on the bottom..also a weather cane clipped on mast directly across from boom is helpful as well as tell-tales (and a whistle in your life vest and a helmet on your head). Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• When rigging the boat, make sure it is pointed into the wind Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

Things You'll Need

• The boat itself (the hull)
• the dagger board and a piece of elastic
• the rudder and tiller
• your mainsheet
• both mast pieces
• one hull plug

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKlIYWfhx10
• ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3HsMXwGUNs
• ↑ https://lasersailingtips.com/rigging-and-launching/
• ↑ http://marinaaquaticcenter.org/sailing/PDFs/Laser%20Rigging.pdf

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Laser 2, From idea to reality! A guide for owners and boat buyers

The ‘Nearly’ Complete Boat

This post is from 2009. It’s an interesting read. I’ve just started (2017) a GP14 dinghy restoration which I’m documenting here .

This is the story of one man and his boat. It all started when I used my Tesco Clubcard points to go on an RYA sailing course at Bala lake in North Wales in September 2009. I wanted to learn to sail properly for years but had never got around to doing it. I did the RYA level 2 course and learnt to sail in an RS Q’BA making use of the Jib on the second day. I really enjoyed the experience so decided to buy a boat of my own.

Roll forward approximately 2 days when my wife rings me whilst I was in Leeds (we live in Crewe) to say that she had more or less bought a Laser 2 Regatta dinghy from near Solihull and I had to get home to come help collect it. Being several months pregnant at the time didn’t put her in the best position for moving boats around so I got the next train home and a few hours later found myself collecting a boat trailer from a friend and heading down the M6 at huge speed (60 mph!). We decided to take the central Birmingham road instead of the M42. That was mistake number 1. For the next hour we sat in rush hour traffic (or so it seemed) to go the final three miles to the place the boat was being kept.

We arrived at a sea scouts base and were directed towards a boat with half of the parts missing on a trolley with a flat tyre. It wasn’t looking good but immediately all I saw in my head was myself sailing my very own boat just as I was learning to do a couple of days beforehand. Luckily my wife is a little less easily swayed that myself but for £170 who can argue? We were shown another Laser 2 he had in bits and were allowed to remove any parts we thought we needed. I ended up with a spare clamcleat and another Mast step. I even had the blisters to prove it. Sadly there was no daggerboard or rudder to speak of and, at the time (!!), I didn’t realise how much these parts cost. We handed over the cash and shoehorned the boat (and assorted bits) onto the home made trailer and proceeded to the nearest McDonalds (a tradition of ours whereby we have a McDonalds each time we buy something like a house, car or indeed boat). On the way out we decided to take the M42 and were rewarded with no traffic and a lovely drive back to Crewe. Mistake number two was not considering where we might store the boat in the short term as we live in a terraced house with no garage or parking! Luckily a friend who lives nearby lives in a much nicer house with a drive and place to store said boat.

In effect we were left with a Laser 2 dinghy, a mast, a launching trolley and a few basic cleats. The following is the list of things I had left to buy to get the thing on the water and their retail costs.

• £250.00 – Rudder
• £80.00 – Tiller & extension
• £270.00 – Dagger board
• £60.00 – Central main sheet block
• £80.00 – ALL the rope for the boat
• £50.00 – Sail Battens
• £50.00 – Kicking Strap (Kicker)
• £50.00 – Assorted bits including various shackles, cleats, blocks, vernier shroud adjusters and a bung!

There lied the enormity of my task. At the time of writing (Mid November 2009) I have just taken delivery of my final piece to the very large and expensive puzzle, the dagger board.

Over the last two months I have been frantically scanning sailing websites, forums, friends minds and of course eBay. the following details for those people who might be in a similar situation what I found and how I managed to get the boat together as cheaply as possible.

As soon as we got the boat to Manley Mere, it’s next resting place,  I created the above list. Once I had finished weeping I got the parts catalogued  and got on the internet.

Firstly a few things about the Laser 2 you might not have known.

• Laser 2 is a closed class meaning that in order to race them the parts must be official Laser stock and therefore confirm to strict size, material and weight constraints. If you want to get your boat together on a budget then ignore this rule except to assume that parts will NOT be readily available and those that are will NOT be cheap (as above demonstrates)
• Laser 2 is no longer made. This, once again, reflects the fact that parts will be scarce although does give you an idea that at boat jumbles and sailing clubs there might be a few rotting that you could ask about buying.
• Laser 2 was superseded by the Laser 3000. This is in effect good news because many of the parts were used in the new boat. Take, for example, the dagger board which was not changed from from the Laser 2 spec and will therefore fit your boat if you need one.
• Laser 2 has an American counterpart. This means that parts for the boat might be available in the states although steer clear of the sails because they are, according to the head of the North American Laser 2 Class Association, not a good quality as those in the UK.
• Laser Performance Europe has abandoned the boat as far as I can tell and have handed over the rights to sell parts for the UK to a company called Northampton Sailboats ( http://www.sailboats.co.uk ). The staff are friendly and helpful although stock parts at prices which, in my opinion, should only be considered as a last resort. I had to get my Kicker from them for £45.00 plus postage but the more able among you might be able to fabricate one just as easily!

So where did I get my parts from?

After a few days of scouring the internet I decided to bite the bullet and get my wallet out. After the cobwebs had settled I got in touch with several sellers on websites like eBay and Boatsandoutboards.com where you will find plenty of boat parts but not so much Laser 2.

Cost so far: £170.00

I did several hundred Google searches and enquired about some rope to Joe at ropeloft . I rung Joe and within an hour of being on the phone we hatched a plan and created a list of what I needed. This was fairly good seeing as I had no idea what I needed except to describe to him what I did have (which was not a lot!). In the next few days arrived a huge bundle of high quality rope to do everything for the boat I needed including a few bundled offcuts. The grand total was £40.00 all in and the best thing was I actually received the goods before I paid. In my book that does show a very trusting and kind person indeed! I would recommend not using the website as at the time I found it hard to navigate to the extent I got bored and rung him. I would really recommend picking up the phone with any transaction beforehand because the people on the other end are usually really friendly and able to help and in my case it paid off because I got exactly what I needed with zero effort and minimal cost.

Cost so far: £210.00

Next on the list was a few bits and pieces such as a bung, kicker, vernier shroud adjusters and a back to back swivel block for the horse. Sadly for these I went to http://www.sailboats.co.uk because they are generally low cost items I needed and I thought best to get official parts. Of course I got the kicker from them because of my lack of knowledge of the part and lack of patience in making one. This is something which, next time, I would do myself!

Cost so far: £270.00

I contacted Tony at Sailsport Marine ( http://sail-sport.com ) for sail battens and some other bits. I rung up once again to make sure they would fit and was pointed in the direction of a ‘Training Batten Set’  which were half the cost and arrived very quickly. I also ordered an assortment of stainless screws and some plastic balls to go on the end of some of the ropes to act as shackles. They work a treat and were relatively cheap! I also ordered a center main sheet block from them which, although is a little small, does the trick beautifully.

Cost so far: £320.00

Being a bit sad I set up a saved search on eBay for the term ‘Laser 2’ and ‘Laser 2 Regatta’. Checking it daily got me a great bargain in a rudder and stock for £140.00.

Cost so far: £460.00

I then needed a tiller and extension of which the ‘official’ site were selling for around £75-80. I decided to keep trying eBay and a few days later my endurance paid off and I got a Laser 1 carbon tiller and extension for £40.00. A word of warning here though. Although the Laser 1 tiller will fit the Laser 2 stock you may need to ‘help’ the thing into the stock the first time. I used sand paper and furniture polish to do it and then drilled a new hole for the pin to go through but it works really well indeed! Don’t be shy to modify some bits like tillers because it’s very rewarding and brings the cost down no end.

Cost so far: £500.00

Finally I needed the most expensive piece of them all, the dagger board. This part alone would have cost me nearly £300.00 if it wasn’t for me being so stubborn. I scoured Google and asked tens of questions on wanted sites and forums. I kept an eye on eBay but even on there they have cottoned onto the sheer cost of these things. I got to the stage where i was going to ‘borrow’ one from another boat at the place I keep mine and fabricate something crudely out of plywood just to get me on the water. This was not necessary in the end as one of my many requests came back with a positive where someone had an old Laser 3000 board lying around and would sell it to me for £110.00. Thanks to the guys at Sailboat Spares (http://www.sailboatspares.com) I now have the final piece of the puzzle and can now write this post and tot up the overall cost.

Cost so far: £610.00

Notice I used ‘cost so far’ at this final stage. So far I have not yet sailed it so don’t know if there is anything I have forgotten and also there is no spinnaker set up on the boat. Although I am not proficient enough to even consider using one yet it’s on the shopping list definitely! The boat also has provision for trapeze wires so I need to get hold of a harness however it’s not a priority!

Update: Sailed it  few times now… bought a cover for it. It’s a great boat that goes well. My only advice it to make sure you either know how to sail properly or have a second person to be in the boat with you. Single handing this boat with a couple of months experience is not a good idea 🙂

There are a fair few good sites out there about the Laser 2 however be aware that some of them are American and when you are looking for parts are not relevant really. There are a couple of good forums around but are not very active so the best places to look for parts and advice is around the boatyards that have them. Get down to the local sailing club and see if you can get talking to the people that have them because they are far more likely, like me, to have a few contacts for various parts.

I would be interested to hear from anyone who has been/is working on a Laser 2 and wants to share their own sources of parts and knowledge.

Alternatives

I have been contacted by a supplier of Laser 2 parts in the UK who offers a cheaper alternative to using Laser Performance for this. The website address is  http://www.desilcosailing.com/

28 Comments

Just want to say well done. Great story and good to see an L2 back sailable. I have a Laser one and a Laser 2, sail in Chester currently but will be moving to Shotwick Lake for next season (there 2 or 3 Laser 2’s already there and its much better water). How has sailing gone for you. Suppose a little bit of expiereince would have told you the L2 kicker is essentially the L1 original which was incredibly under powered even for the 1. Got mine off ebay for about £10. However switch it with the new style one off my L1 when I can be bothered or when taking juniors out.

Hi John, Good to hear from a fellow enthusiast. My wife’s family sail in Chester, the Whiteheads… I may have met you but apologies for not remembering. I’m awful with names and faces! Yes sailing has been great fun since I have had the boat on the water. The Kicker sadly cost me 40odd quid from the official dealer but it seems to do the trick. I would like to see a cam cleat on there instead of the V shaped it of metal it’s currently got. Would make life easier for derigging etc.. I’m finding the square back a challenge and have chopped about 8 inches from the tiller extension as it was impossible to handle at the huge size it was when I got it. I can’t believe anyone would use that on an L1! Otherwise it’s going great. A little bit too much for a novice like me to handle on my own at times but a very good little boat. I do, however, keep gawping at the Solos they have at Nantwich & Border Counties where I sail. Very nice indeed! Good luck at Shotwick and for the future. Stay in touch.

Hi Sean, great work on the boat and on posting your story here. A friend and I also just got hold of an ageing Laser 2 and we’re some way off getting it into the shape we’d like to see her in. Many of your comments on sourcing parts etc. have been very useful. Thanks again. James

Lovely to see a laser 2 returning to the water. I can suggest a very good website for restoring/maintenance on the laser 2:

http://www.cautionwater.com/category.aspx?categoryid=17

Currently have an as new boat, but thinking of restoring an older one too. The site above is great, lots of advice and tips, make your boat look good as new, repainting and all sorts. If your unsure if something is rigged right, theres a rigging guide on the left hand side of the page. If you want it even more shiny, get some marine polish, they tend to come up nicely.

Also, the UK Class association is in need of new interest and members, as the commitee is thinning; they also have advice to offer through the forum and yahoo group.

http://www.laser2sailing.org.uk/

Oh, and this site has another forum which is handy:

http://www.jard.co.uk/laser2/

Cheers, good luck and well done, looks like a good buy after the spending!

Hi Andy, thanks for the information… I had actually looked at each of those sites but for some reason didn’t document their usefulness in my report. The boat is now sitting at the club for the Winter as the lake is currently frozen, Will see how she goes in the new year once I can procure a wetsuit with legs or a drysuit. Not as hardy as I used to be apparently!

thanks again Sean

I was lucky enough to get a Laser 2 pretty cheap and almost complete. I found your article searching for others having problems with the length of the tiller extension. I took it for its first sail today with a novice crew and found that I had to manually unfoul the extension from the mainsheet at every tack. Bit of nightmare but managed not to take a swim. I’ve been thinking about this hard but can’t visualise a way to turn the boat without hanging that long extension up on either the center mainsheet or if I swing it to the stern, on the mainsheet leading to the traveller. You said how much you cut off but how long did that leave the extension? Can you still hike out far enough? Thanks.

Hi Callum, Impressive you found one nearly complete. I have yet to find one both cheap and ready to sail. Yes I had to cut the tiller extension down quite by bout 8 inches I think but then it was an aftermarket carbon one. I personally don’t go out too far so have never had that issue however yes I imagine that if you were a lot taller and really get forward in the boat then it might be an issue. For me though I have always got a few inches of extension available to lean a little further. It was a bit of a pain having to untangle it each time I tacked, I went for the easy option instead of adjusting my style. I suppose you could give it a little flick as you turn to get it past perhaps. Good luck with it.. good to hear from another enthusiast!

thanks Sean

Hi Sean, thanks for getting back to me. A hacksaw and pop rivet ought to do it. Mine is Aluminium. Can you tell me the length of the tiller and the length of the extension? I probably won’t alter it until the boat is rigged and ready.

Yes it sounds about right doesn’t it. I was a little bit worried about cutting mine down for the same reasons you suggest to best to leave a couple of inches more than you wanted to take off on there and see if you can live with it. Remember you can take off but not put back on again. Sadly Laser 2 tillers and extensions aren’t cheap (as with any other product from Laser Performance). I got mine from eBay as you read in the saga however it’s from a Laser 1 so the measurement I gave would be wrong regardless. The simplest way to check would be to rig the boat (on a calm day) on the trailor, sit in the helming position, pull in the main as far as it will go so that the sheets are tight then attempt a tack on dry land. As your hand passes the main block you have your overlap. As I said it might just be something you can live with or possibly move the main block forward a few inches? You could always put it back I suppose. Not something I considered at the time.

Hope this helps to some degree. I’ve not managed to get out in the boat for a while but with the weather as it is today in the UK I certainly feel that I should make the effort over the next few weeks!

Great story and what a wife you have buying you a boat!!! While pregnant!!!!! She is a dream wife. I just bought a laser 2 with everything but the mast (and rigging) and am searching world wide for one. So far nothing. I might even have to make one from some old mast and have the base engineered to fit in the step. Best of luck and thanks for the story..it gives me hope.

I actually sold the boat a few weeks ago through lack of use. It’s sadly not a good time for me to own one on account of the wife not being bothered and children too young. I had a great time sourcing the bits and making it all work though so I encourage you to stick with it. You might have to start contacting sailing clubs around you because these boats (of a certain age) tend to have been left sitting for years with their bits just ripe for you to buy. You might find that asking around the clubs and getting in touch with owners is enough to convince some bored old sailor to sell you the entire boat and then you can help other people via eBay or similar selling the parts (not to mention making a profit!).

Marvin; If you still haven’t found a mast; Put an add up on “Apolloduck.com”, loads of hulls are worn out around the UK, so you could fairly easily nab a mast.. I am helping to select the new mast design.. so have looked at many alternatives. If you can hang on there will be a new, fully legal laser 2 mast avaliable within the next few months from sailboats uk .com… Otherwise your best bet is to try a shortened 420 mast..

How did getting a mast go and how much did it cost? I have a 25 year old laser 2 and the mast is way past its best, so it really needs replacing.

I would look on eBay or scour the local boat clubs as these boats are really not that popular any more what with cheaper and easier boats on the market. The mast came with mine so I can’t comment on the cost but considering the cost of the boat complete with mast it might make sense for you to get a scrap rig and strip it for parts. It splits into two as you know so transporting it should be fairly easy going.

I have just bought a l2 and love it. Id like to sail it solo on the trap, does anyone know how long the extension needs to be. I saw one post on another forum saying 10′ but not where you can get such a monster which will telescope.

Glad you like it. something telescopic such as this one: http://www.yachtmailchandlery.com/ronstan-telescopic-tiller-extension-740-1210-mm/ might do the trick. You would need to make sure it fits but then the join is fairly standard or can be bodged easily enough to work. Hope this helps.

Hi Sean I live near Cape Town, South Africa. I recently bought a Lazer 2 in Knysna , South Africa. A fairly old boat , about 12 years old , complete except for the daggerboard. There are not many Lazer 2’s around this part of the world. I need to make a daggerboard and the profile I can size according to the slot in the casing. I am however having great difficulty establishing what the correct overall length of the board needs to be. Can you help me ?

Brianpacesseai

I believe the Laser 2 is between 13 and 15 feet long however that won’t be a problem really. If you buy a Laser 3000 Daggerboard it will be the correct size and shape and fit the slot no problem. The laser 3000 is a vastly improved version of the Laser 2 so the parts are somewhat interchangeable. The Laser 2 is a great little boat for a single hander with some experience or a crew of two smaller people.. I had mine flying along (with some help) a few times and despite the age it will put a smile on your face.. particularly out of Cape Town.. The sailing there must be excellent!!

( http://www.sailboats.co.uk/Product~Laser_3000_Daggerboard_LA-3200.html )

what an adventure. Reading your story reminds me of what I have experienced. After acquiring a (German) sailing license together with my (now) wife ten years ago, I have got in the same situation as you did. No time for sailing at all due to hassle in the job/children/house. Then this year on holiday in the Netherlands I rented a dinghy for some hours and I had sooo much fun that I immediately decided to buy a boat of my own.

Nobody can understand the enthusiasm first when searching and then when refurbishing the boat. You must have tried it.

The very day after my holidays I bought a Laser 2 Fun. The Fun is special edition of the Laser 2 with a furling jib and reefable main sail, but no spinaker.

As the halyards were totally rotten Idecided to buy new ones at sailboats.co.uk (The UK laser II market is much bigger than the German one). While the main halyard fits perfectly the jib halyard doesn’t fit at all, because the mast dimensions of the FUN edition seem to be different. Now I solved the problem by replacing the old jib halyard by a Dyneema rope with a self spliced thimble.

It’s sooo great to go out sailing, espacially after hours in front of the computer.

You should not wait ten years as I did before restarting this hobby again.

Greetings from Essen, Baldeneysee, Germany

Thanks for your message. It does ring a bell. I fully intend to pick up sailing again when our family moves to the south coast in a few months. We should be there just in time for the Summer sailing season to begin!

It is certainly a thrilling thing building your own boat although proximity to my own boat and lack of funds prohibited me from enjoying it as much as I could have done. I spent many an evening driving for 30-40mins to get to my boat to put on a cleat or something only to find I had left a key tool at home.

When I finally got to sail it she went well although really the Laser 2 Regatta is a two man boat for both company and enjoyment. I found that by the time I had rigged her and got onto the water I was largely bored and decided to come in again. For one person learning or wanting a bit of fun I think the normal Laser would suit. There are more enjoyable and more fiddly boats to use but for a quick bit of fun the Laser is a contender. Cheap too and parts are plentiful as you suggest. Buying anything from Sailboats.co.uk is a little bit of a last resort for me because they stock official and new parts. For a better deal eBay is the best answer or just looking on local sailing club websites for parts. I believe I found mine on Apolloduck.co.uk (if that’s stil going) and bought mine as a wreck. I would do it again in a heartbeat.. and probably will when my kids are old enough.

Thanks for the enjoyable read and I do wish you the best of luck with your boat.

I liked this story…..I have a similar one but quite a differnt starting point…..at one time I purchased a Bell Flyer (in Burton-on-Trent). http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Bell+Flyer+sailing+dinghy&FORM=HDRSC2#view=detail&id=174EAF21E2F16929D0FE00651AD39C016A849008&selectedIndex=0

So my starting point was somewhat different. My Kids (all teenagers) sailed this for a few yesrs, the plywood hull eventually was retierd a month ago. Given I only paid 250 for it and we had three years enjoyment I reckon it paid for itself. So I was left with a nice rig, rudder, dagger board & bag full of fittings but no hull.

I then picked up a laser 2 hull in a local sailing school for £100.

Starting with the rudder I spent 30 minutes making some inserts for the laser brackets to reduce them to 8mm and fit the pins on my rudder…..nice easy fix.

I replaced the main sheet block with the one salvaged from the Flyer.

Then I fitted the mast, clearly the boom was too high so the mast came down again a few minutes later. I cut 250mm of the end so the boom would be at the correct height, as I was at it I replaced the mast step with the one from the Flyer. Trapeze was an easy task I just needed a bit of shockcord, the wires are a little long but I’ll fix that in time. Then the Main & Jib went up….Incidently I have a fully battened main sail with a very large roach. We now had something approaching a boat ready for the water…Not bad for the first evenings work!

I was not happy with the Jib setup the following day, so had a 3mm dyneema strop made up with an eye in each end to make the Jib fit properly, as I was it it I also bought webbing for toe straps….(additional cost another £6)

ps. Dyneema is super stuffs so good that I’m thinking of replacing all the rigging with it.

Centre board….Hmm! the one from the Flyer fits in the slot but is a little short (on the fore – aft dimension) and a little deep. I got out the circular saw and cut it down to size (150mm came off the end). After fitting a gasget to the centre board case it fitted fine with the addition of a small wooden peg at the front end. I’m thinking of replacing the board with a laser 3000 one in due course, but it will do for now.

Happy with second evenings work….wife complaining of boat on lawn!

Spinnaker….the Kite & Pole from the bell flyer are being reused. I welded up a stainelss bracket for the frount fixing from some material I had lying around. I’ve yet to figure out how to mount the rest of the spinaker gear before I go drilling holes in the boat……

Going sailing this weekend (without the spinnaker finished) as the kids want on the Trapeze.

Hi Gerard, sounds like you took to it pretty well. I was a bit younger than I am now and was a good 15mins drive from the boat so doing anything with it was slow. That and sourcing cheap parts was a nightmare. Paying for every cleat and pulley breaks your heart but it’s a labour of love isn’t it. I’m with you on the Dynemma.. I made a lead out of the scraps for my dog and he’s yet to chew through it 🙂 Sadly the Laser 2 needs a Jib to effectively sail as the forestay is such a thin gauge wire that it can’t cope. As a beginner I found it a bit of a pain having to deal with both sails on my own but I’m all for jumping in the deep end with that sort of thing! Next time I shall get a plastic boat ready made but it was certainly worth the experience!

Good job though.. I hope it works out for you and you get your franken-boat going 🙂

great to see there are still some Laser2 fans around the globe 🙂 I am president of the German and international Laser2 class association. At the moment we try to establish some contacts to Laser2 sailors around the world in order to get a fresh breeze into the class. Would be great if you join us and get in touch:

http://www.laser2.de/2014/05/23/wir-sind-viele-laser2-segler-vereinigt-euch-we-are-many-laser2-sailors-unite/

Please also share with other (L2) sailors. Thanks and have a good time – Vanessa

Hi Sean. Great read- thanks for sharing your journey. I’m hoping you still read this as I’d value your opinion – I’m considering buying an L2 Fun for myself and my 10yr old lad to sail together, albeit with the intention of sailing it single-handed a fair amount too. I can sail, but by the sounds of things I may be at the same sort of level you were at when you finally got yours on the water. Realistically, how tricky are they to sail on your own? Cheers, Rob

Thanks for the message. Yup I read every comment here and glad to reply. I’ve not done a lot of sailing in the last few years. However, it’s a great little boat and would fit the 10 year old and yourself nicely. If you’re looking at a bit of fun sailing with less rigging and messing about then I’d recommend a Laser Pico.. same number of sails, lighter boat, plastic so harder to damage and easier to transport.

The L2 was a great sail with two people.. we had her planing away and she went very well. Lots of adjustment and it’s a laser at heart which was fun. Singlehandedly sailing she was fine, a little hard as the design suffers from the same drawback of old lasers, the square stern so your sheets will foul regularly. You get used to a little tiller flick to clear it of course but it’s annoying at first.

The L2 also needs to be moving to drain which is awkward if you capsize on your own. The Pico is an open back so self drains. Both recommended and great fun! 🙂

Interesting read Sean – if only I had known some years ago as I have a “Black Magic” Laser 2 Regatta which I need to get rid of. It’s complete, but the sails are in poor condition and it hasn’t been used for the last 20 years! If you know anyone who might be interested I’d like to know..we live in East Hampshire not too far from the South coast.

Hi Ian, no problem. By all means post a price and contact number if you like. They are great little boats so I’m sure someone will take it. Is there a road trailer also..

Just bought a ’90 L2 in great condition, complete with both trailers and very good sails including spinnaker and trapeze.£450.

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Barnaul, Altai Krai (Siberia)

Barnaul is the administrative center of the Altai Krai [Altai Territory] which had been created in 1937. In the years following the 1941 Deportation of the Volga Germans, many Volga German families moved from the rural settlements in the Altai Krai into the city of Barnaul.

During World War II, more than half of the light ammunition used by the Soviet Army was manufactured in Barnaul in factories that had been relocated there from Moscow, Leningrad (St. Petersburg), Odessa, and Kharkov following the invasion of the Nazis.

- Barnaul (Wikipedia)

Barnaul street scene. Source: Marina Webber.

Panorama of Barnaul (2007). Source: Russian Wikipedia.

Pre-Volga Origin

There are two large regions called Altai: the Altai Republic with the administrative center in Gorno-Altaysk and the Altai Krai with its capital Barnaul. The most famous attractions are in the Altai Mountains, but you can also spend some great days in Altai Krai. Here I am telling you where to go in the Altai Krai to have a great time.

Visit Belokurikha - to walk along a terrenkur

Visit Altayskoye - to learn all about Altai herbs

Visit Basargino and experience life in a modern village

Basargino looks like it was created in some kind of computer simulation game. And there, on a little piece of land you need to arrange cozy wooden comfortable houses, a farm, a church, a cafe and a restaurant with insanely delicious meals, an apiary, lakes with fish, a chicken coop and pastures. You also should have cows, pigs, goats and sheep. And also wolves and yaks to make the visitors even more delighted.

Visit the forge in Belokurikha and forge a horseshoe for good luck 

There is not a feminine equivalent for a blacksmith, therefore I will simply introduce Anna Biletskaya as the blacksmith. Anna, armed with a heavy hammer and an anvil, is able to forge a horseshoe for a horse in 15 minutes and a decorative horseshoe for luck in only 10 minutes. Well the last one is more in demand lately. Anna opened her smithy to visitors a few years ago. This blacksmith in a skirt shows the whole process during her short master classes: first heat a piece of metal over a fire, then take a hammer and beat it well on the anvil, pull it back, then bend it and put it back into the fire. Finally, cool and clean it.

Visit "The Gold of Altai"(Zoloto Altaya) - to bath in Sanduny or to ride a horse

A hot bath filled with herbs such as hypericum, yarrow, camomile and also a rejuvenating bathtub -  these are the Russian answer to the best Asian spa with plumeria flowers. Well, the Altai version looks more brutal, but you will quickly feel the great effect. The herbs are collected and specially prepared here, in "The Gold of Altai" eco-hotel on the shore of the lake. Bathhouses are warmed up in both old Russian traditional ways: the "black" banya (a smoke goes out of bathhouse through cracks in wooden walls) and the "white" banya (a smoke goes out of the bathhouse through a pipe). The professional bath attendants will help guests adjust the right amount of steam and smack them briskly all over their bodies with special bath brooms. The largest horse farm in this district is also located in the hotel area; you should not miss the chance to ride a horse at least around the local territory.

What else to do in Altai:

• Take a walk through the pine forest near Barnaul
• Stop by the village of Srostki, where Vasily Shukshin (the soviet movie director) was born
• Spend a day at the "Biruzovaya Katun" Resort
• Take a walk along Biysk and visit the museum of the Chuysky Tract
• Relax in the "Altay Palace", check-in to the only official gaming zone in Siberia
• Go to Lake Aya

You can see the photo report about Altai Krai and Altai Mountains here .

Also read about Altai: The Princess of Ukok The most beautiful places of the Altai Mountains Looking for a snow leopard A female Blacksmith: The Mother-anvil Karakol Valley: Protected by Spirits Translation: Irina Romanova, Instagram:   @astrabella1

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