Hi - Great forum. I purchased my laser back in 82 and probably have only used it a couple of times (a few hours) each summer . I'm trying to change that this year. But to the point...my greatest difficulty seems to be launching the thing. I face the front of the boat into the wind but can't seem to keep it there in moderate to heavy winds, as the sail moves the boat around while i'm stringing the outhaul. The last step in my set up procedure, ie., just before i jump on is stringing the outhaul from the sail onto the boom and if I don't do this superquick I lose control of the boat.
Do I just need to practice more? perhaps the fact that the outhaul is relatively short is a problem. if it were longer i could get into the boat first, with the sale flapping about and then tighten it up with the tiller in my hand. I notice that the replacement outhaul (which I just purchased from aps as part of a kit for pre-2001 models) is at least twice as long as the one that came with the boat but I haven't yet used the new rigging (need to study the rigging diagrams for the longer replacemnet ropes)... excuse my lack of nautical terminology...
Do I just need to practice more? perhaps the fact that the outhaul is relatively short is a problem. if it were longer i could get into the boat first, with the sale flapping about and then tighten it up with the tiller in my hand. I notice that the replacement outhaul (which I just purchased from aps as part of a kit for pre-2001 models) is at least twice as long as the one that came with the boat but I haven't yet used the new rigging (need to study the rigging diagrams for the longer replacemnet ropes)... excuse my lack of nautical terminology...