Having recently bought a 1978 Laser (66 thou hull #), I decided to get back into the class after a long hiatus. The boat's in good shape, with nice blades. The hull weighed in at 131 lbs. I don't think it's ever had a drop of water inside and must have been preserved indoors for most of its life. The hull up forward seems pretty stiff, so I'm looking forward to getting her out in some waves. I bought the vang, cunn. and outhaul upgrade package, new sail and a few other upgrades.
I entered a 30+ boat Masters regatta and we enjoyed some gusty, flat water breezes (had a few fire-hose reaches). Boatspeed was fine, particularly downwind. Upwind speed had some room for improvement, but probably because the driver was not in prime hiking condition.
After a 19-year break from Lasers, I can offer the following observations:
- The upgraded control line packages (or build your own) are a must. What a difference, particularly in prime gear-changing conditions (i.e., puffy with holes). I went with a decent aluminum tiller, but will probably take out a 2nd mortgage to get the carbon baby.
- Not much else seems to have changed over past 2 decades. Conditioning, boat handling/corner turning, getting/staying in phase upwind, and working the waves and puffs downwind are still the keys to success.
- It seems that old boats are at least as good as newer boats if one is fortunate enough to find one that's been used sparingly by a little old lady for casual Sunday lake cruising only.
I entered a 30+ boat Masters regatta and we enjoyed some gusty, flat water breezes (had a few fire-hose reaches). Boatspeed was fine, particularly downwind. Upwind speed had some room for improvement, but probably because the driver was not in prime hiking condition.
After a 19-year break from Lasers, I can offer the following observations:
- The upgraded control line packages (or build your own) are a must. What a difference, particularly in prime gear-changing conditions (i.e., puffy with holes). I went with a decent aluminum tiller, but will probably take out a 2nd mortgage to get the carbon baby.
- Not much else seems to have changed over past 2 decades. Conditioning, boat handling/corner turning, getting/staying in phase upwind, and working the waves and puffs downwind are still the keys to success.
- It seems that old boats are at least as good as newer boats if one is fortunate enough to find one that's been used sparingly by a little old lady for casual Sunday lake cruising only.
