Extreme Laser sailing vids...why don't other classes look so thrilling?

[Greenheart]

There seem to be quite a few videos showing Lasers sailed right up to (and beyond) the wind force which is endurable by their crews.

I know there are far more examples of the Laser class than almost any other dinghy, so it's no surprise to see plenty of them on Youtube and elsewhere.

But there are also much faster classes - lots of them - and somehow, they're very rarely seen being pressed as hard as the Laser.

I suppose the design's popularity makes components easy and quick to replace when damaged - I've no idea how I would replace my old Osprey's rudder or centreboard.

And perhaps the Laser's simplicity encourages these astounding sleigh-rides in extreme weather and high waves? I only know that I have to admire the crews and the design, even though I seem to remember that broad-reaching is the only thing they really do well...enjoy:

 

[maxi77]

Well just think of the number of lasers built, it is one of the most prolific classes. There used to be some pretty good hobi clips I remember one where the cat 'sails' over a sand bar

 

[A1Sailor]

Well just think of the number of lasers built, it is one of the most prolific classes. There used to be some pretty good hobi clips I remember one where the cat 'sails' over a sand bar

Sailed a Laser then have you?

 

[Neil_Y]

It's such and under powered boat off the wind and it's quite tough and over engineered that they can easily be sailed in 30knts + we raced in gusts of 42 once although then there were some breakages. That's also the only time when they are fun/exciting so being the only boat out attracts the cameras perhaps? I wish I'd had a camera a few times on an I14 in 25knts + and an F18 in big waves and a F7. But in those conditions the ribs are really struggling to keep up, the Lasers probably only doing 12knts try it at 25knts and filming gets very difficult. I keep a Laser for days like that, my 14 is fully powered up in 10knts and then you have an extra 32 sqm for going downwind. I think you can find some 18ft skiff videos in breeze as they always have lots of cameras out for the sponsors.

 

[Ruffles]

Certainly now a very old design.
I raced one for many years - badly. I have mixed memories.
To sail upwind in a blow you have to pull on the kicker until the boom is nearly touching the deck. This stretches the sail. And the cost of a new sail per unit area is definitely not cheap. Also the sail tends to crease between the clew and the join in the mast. So the leach flaps. The kids 4.7m sail was a better shape with the boom ending up higher.
The mast is quite heavy. Which doesn't help when trying to gybe at speed.
The hull is heavy compared to modern foam cored polypropylene jobbies.
The kicker hits the centreboard when gybing if the board is fully out. So tends to trip over the board.

10 year old son has an RS Tera which is awesome. Spoilt brat!

 

[CAPTAIN FANTASTIC]

Brilliant; it bring me memories sailing the Finns when I was growing up in the Med

 

[DJE]

There seem to be quite a few videos showing Lasers sailed right up to (and beyond) the wind force which is endurable by their crews.

I know there are far more examples of the Laser class than almost any other dinghy, so it's no surprise to see plenty of them on Youtube and elsewhere.

But there are also much faster classes - lots of them - and somehow, they're very rarely seen being pressed as hard as the Laser.

Well there's this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMAC47VarjQ

 

[snowleopard]

They may not be as fast as some. I've owned an Int 14 and an Int Canoe but for the sensation of speed the Laser is hard to beat. I found that broad reaching while hiking as far as I could meant the bow wave came straight back in my face. I recall a club race when the wind piped up enough to overcome my weight disadvantage and put me in the lead. As I approached the leeward mark a couple of stragglers from the preceding class were getting ready to round. I was ready to go round the outside of them but they looked back, saw the size of my bow wave and scattered.

 

[Bobc]

These?

or these?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxN33qW-n4E

 

[Greenheart]

Those small skiffs with mad rigs certainly look awesome, but I think I'm more excited by the humble Optimists looking like sports cars, surfing down wave-fronts.

They do seem to capsize a lot at such times, though...is it the crew's amazement? I didn't realise how little the sail is...much smaller than my genoa, which itself feels pretty modest.

I suppose that's the point - a boat which might feel under-canvassed in weather that suits really rapid designs, remains controllable when loftier rigs have headed home.

I guess it's the presence of really large waves which makes it look such a thrill. What I can't find is footage of skiffs or cats or anything really quick, in the same conditions...

...I s'pose it gets too dangerous - by which I mean the margin between speed & sudden destructive crash-stops/pitchpoles turns sailing into roulette - so the risk's not worth taking.

I like this clip - partly for seeing a properly quick conventional design going in extremis, partly because I like the non-standard spinnaker, mainly because of the big sea running:

 

[grumpy_o_g]

How about this then?

There's a moment about 1 minute into the clip when a RIB appears in shot which gives a good idea of the state...

 

[Greenheart]

Yes, those are terrific shots. I like the following Finn footage too, once again not in flat water: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-frM3U684YU

...although in this clip, the waves are huge, but the fun isn't... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReuxgUC4BVQ

 

[DJE]

I like this clip - partly for seeing a properly quick conventional design going in extremis, partly because I like the non-standard spinnaker, mainly because of the big sea running:

I like the way that the bloke in the front keeps getting in the way of the camera!

 

[Greenheart]

I like the way that the bloke in the front keeps getting in the way of the camera!

Yes, I was cursing as I watched it. I suppose we've quickly become very blasé about being able to capture footage from once-impossible positions, with cameras on boom ends...

...but it's sad how many great sailing sequences on film are ruined by fogged-up lenses or just by a couple of drips. Drips on the lens, I mean, not gutless crews in the dinghy.

 

[Neil_Y]

I guess it's the presence of really large waves which makes it look such a thrill. What I can't find is footage of skiffs or cats or anything really quick, in the same conditions...

...I s'pose it gets too dangerous - by which I mean the margin between speed & sudden destructive crash-stops/pitchpoles turns sailing into roulette - so the risk's not worth taking.

We do, but never had a camera on board and ribs simply can't keep up when there are bigger waves. Brehat to Perros-guirec in a F6 Westerly was rough and Plymouth to Falmouth in a F7 Easterly was rough as well but we were 15nm offshore so not many photographers. I've only ever managed to film when it calms down a bit.
This is training in flat water, 22knts+it looks like a lot less when it's flat.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yEDQvH2AuU

 

[Bobc]

What I can't find is footage of skiffs or cats or anything really quick, in the same conditions...

...I s'pose it gets too dangerous - by which I mean the margin between speed & sudden destructive crash-stops/pitchpoles turns sailing into roulette - so the risk's not worth taking.

Exactly that. 25kts to zero in a boat length can really hurt. However, we get a bit frustrated over here because the race officers usually bin the racing if the wind goes over 25kts, and in somewhere like Southampton water or Portland Harbour it can be great fun in 30kts with our baby rigs on.

Here's a good example of what can happen (and this is in reasonably flat water).

Before

After

If you're wondering where the crew have gone, they're both out of the picture on the right (notice the splash by the mast tip)

 

[sighmoon]

Hows about this then?

 

[Greenheart]

Thank you gents...that's very clear. I certainly admire the chaps on their over-rigged skiffs...I see them, but I don't want to be them. It's definitely surf & wave height that I like.

 

[Iain C]

I wish I'd had a gopro on board for this little sleigh ride at Weston a few years ago. The regatta was abandoned as the PRO deemed it too windy, so a few of us put the little rigs up on the 12' skiffs and went for a hoon around Southampton Water. This was me and my crew Tom on DesignSource. Although if the gopro had been pointing forward, there would have been an awful lot of sky in the downwind shots!

 

[Bobc]

I wish I'd had a gopro on board for this little sleigh ride at Weston a few years ago. The regatta was abandoned as the PRO deemed it too windy, so a few of us put the little rigs up on the 12' skiffs and went for a hoon around Southampton Water. This was me and my crew Tom on DesignSource. Although if the gopro had been pointing forward, there would have been an awful lot of sky in the downwind shots!

You're supposed to credit the photographer you know