blacklionboy
New Member
Hi.
I sail laser 4.7. I was wondering about how to point up on a beat more?
Any advice
I sail laser 4.7. I was wondering about how to point up on a beat more?
Any advice
Upwind Advice
- Thread starter blacklionboy
- Start date
GBR141010
New Member
I also just started on 4.7s but find that taking up the slack on the kicker and putting a bit of dwnhaul on helps.I always pinch up a wave and then bear away slightly going down it to gain distance to windward and pointing ability.
Merrily
Administrator
What's with the poll?
If you want more pointing ability just pull on more vang and maybe abit on the outhaul.
For *normal* sailing just try to find the best mix between power and pointing ability, but if you really need the pointing ability (just below layline for example) you can do as I said abow (at least with normal lasers).
For *normal* sailing just try to find the best mix between power and pointing ability, but if you really need the pointing ability (just below layline for example) you can do as I said abow (at least with normal lasers).
sailor327
New Member
yeah and font put on too little outhaul. bring in the slack of the vang and take the wrinkles out of the sail with the cunny.
Owyn in Barnsley
New Member
Hang on a minute, more vang for pointing, surely you mean less.
The vang is for when you are being blown off the water
The vang is for when you are being blown off the water
knot_moving
Member
I have been sailing a laser for 1 season. Previously I sailed a V15 for a few seasons (never very well) and have crewedon keel boats for many seasons - this to let you know that the following advice is from a relative novice!
1) keep the boat flat! When the boat heels to leeward it wants to turn to head to wind. Keeping it flat reduces the amount of rudder you need to stop the boat from going head to wind, reducing drag and keeping water flow better attached to centerboard and rudder, which helps you point better.
2) This recommendation will have advocates & detractors - I always have some vang on upwind - enough to bend the mast at least 3". This seems to fit the mast bend to the curve cut into the luff of the sail. Beyond this the rule of thumb seems to be as little vang as you can get away with but still keep the boat flat.
2) Minimize use of cunningham until you have the vang on as hard as you can put it on (use the vang to depower the sail so you can keep the boat flat). I've seen pics of very good sailors with lots of wrinkles.
3) Don't pinch upwind. When you do the boat slows down, the centerboard stalls and even when you start moving, with a stalled centerboard you can't point. Foot off , get speed, then start pointing up.
4) Keep the boat flat! Earlier there was a thread that had some great pics from a West Coast regatta showing the top sailors straight leg hiked and the boat amazingly flat in a pretty good breeze - killed my illusions of ever being an elite laser sailor
Just my "what I learned in laser school this year"
1) keep the boat flat! When the boat heels to leeward it wants to turn to head to wind. Keeping it flat reduces the amount of rudder you need to stop the boat from going head to wind, reducing drag and keeping water flow better attached to centerboard and rudder, which helps you point better.
2) This recommendation will have advocates & detractors - I always have some vang on upwind - enough to bend the mast at least 3". This seems to fit the mast bend to the curve cut into the luff of the sail. Beyond this the rule of thumb seems to be as little vang as you can get away with but still keep the boat flat.
2) Minimize use of cunningham until you have the vang on as hard as you can put it on (use the vang to depower the sail so you can keep the boat flat). I've seen pics of very good sailors with lots of wrinkles.
3) Don't pinch upwind. When you do the boat slows down, the centerboard stalls and even when you start moving, with a stalled centerboard you can't point. Foot off , get speed, then start pointing up.
4) Keep the boat flat! Earlier there was a thread that had some great pics from a West Coast regatta showing the top sailors straight leg hiked and the boat amazingly flat in a pretty good breeze - killed my illusions of ever being an elite laser sailor
Just my "what I learned in laser school this year"
Owyn in Barnsley
New Member
The thing with the vang can be explained by the need for leech tension to get the boat to point, the vang pulls the boom down and pushes it into the mast which bends the mast low down without cranking on the leech tension.
Just using the mainsheet to bend the mast cranks on that leech tension and makes you point, hence the pricey carbon tillers so the traveller can be really tight to get the boom right down. I tend to sheet the sail in and just take the slack out of the vang to stop it flopping around.
When the wind picks up the vang is used to open the leech and dump power out of the top, it also stops the boom going up in the air when easing in the gusts.
Of course, if you don't have the boat flat you can point all you want but for every metre forwrd you go you will also do one sideways
Just using the mainsheet to bend the mast cranks on that leech tension and makes you point, hence the pricey carbon tillers so the traveller can be really tight to get the boom right down. I tend to sheet the sail in and just take the slack out of the vang to stop it flopping around.
When the wind picks up the vang is used to open the leech and dump power out of the top, it also stops the boom going up in the air when easing in the gusts.
Of course, if you don't have the boat flat you can point all you want but for every metre forwrd you go you will also do one sideways