lark sailing dinghy,need advice n tips?

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jez33

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hi to all.
i finally done it and brought a lark sailing dinghy, yippee.…

i just need a few tips though to get me on my way !

i sail often my comet (only one sail dinghy) but ofcause the lark comes with a jib.. do i 1st get my main sail working like a main should then trim the jib as parallel to the main as possible or do i perhaps trim the jib close enough to disturb the shape of the main sail and then back the jib off until the main is back to a full shape?

any other advice will always be read so keep it coming /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

mind you i hope i will be able to handel this dinghy single handed as its a bit bigger then my comet /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
Do you have wind tufts?
I would get each sail drawing correctly, i.e. the tufts flying cleanly. If the jib is backwinding the main, then pull on some more kicker, or bear off the wind and sheet out a little.
(P.S. I'm still learning, but this seems to work on my Wayfarer).
 
cool thanks for your answers but please dont stop i cant get enough of advice on how to improve this great hobby.…

by the way the selerl i bought the lark from didnt show me how to rig the main mast n sails up or which line goes in which cleat and so forth. if any of you know where i could get that info from or even if you have a similar setup on your dinghy then if poss some photos will really help.…
 
My son emigrated and left his Lark in my garden, my daughter and me thought we would have a play with it this year, blimey.
First thought. Many Larks had deep, fixed rudders, so sailing off a beach can be tricky. Either make a lifting rudder [something the racers won't have] or learn to sail without a rudder.
Rig set up for racing is ridiculously complicated, but probably best to keep it simple if not racing.
Rig tension is set up using a cascade system on the jib halyard.
Mast bend controlled by a rope strop at the deck gate.
Kicker uses another very powerful cascade system, lead back to helmsman.
Spinnaker system also complicated but perhaps you won't use this if single handed.
From reading Lark News, these boats are normally raced whilst crews are drunk or hung over, not sure if that's a requirement.
 
Superb boats. Lovely in light airs, and go like sh 1 t of a shovel when the wind gets up. Main problem was nosediving into a wave when going downwind, I nearly sumersaulted my Lark a few times doing this!

Just watch your fingers on the metal centreboard....
 
More years ago than I care to remember I was taught to get the jib (genoa) set properly, then sort out the mainsail to act in concert. I still do the same today on my cruiser. Whether fashions have changed I don't know, but it still seems to work for me.
 
I totally agree with you in the speed in stronger winds. The fun of being on the plane. Even with my 15 stone and a crew we would give the university fireflies a run for their money.

They are good boats to sail, but not as good as Laser 2's IMHO for speed and enjoyment, or as relaxing and peaceful to sail as Wayfarers, but i do reckon Larks the best of both world. Good comfort with a turn of speed.

Ensure you bouyancy tanks are watertight. They can become pretty heave to move if there is an ingress of water.
Be very careful not to bend the centreboard while trying to right after a capsize. They are easily bent.

The openings on the transom can be troublesome when in light airs. (esp when you are a heavy skipper!) Ensure that they dont leak terribly.

Definately enjoy it! That is the key!
 
I forgot to add about the water in the tanks, you are right, thanks.

I also had a Laser 2. Faster in strong winds, but overall not as nice as the Lark to sail despite being a much newer design.
 
Up/cross wind. set the jib first, follow with the main. Downwind, jib too blanketed to be true until goosewinged.

telltales on the jib are damned handy if it's not yet second nature
 
ok i got a couple videos on youtube which show how i assume it should be set up so where you see ive got it wrong please say ...plus theres a couple more questions in them..
by the way the lark is missing a rudder and kicker so where is a good place to get maybe a cheep or 2nd hand one ( well othere then ebay as ive check it )

before whatching this video i made a mistake, i say outhaul but i should have said the uphaul/halyard
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=dx1dCDdHVAE

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=V3v8dXV6_cA
 
I am sitting about a mile from where the best Larks were made at Parkers, and I was chatting to one of the guys who used to make them last week. He told me they sent them and 470s all over the world.

I sailed them at Leeds Poly, but ours were the older John Baker hulls. The later JB hulls were a lot better than the early ones, but the Parker ones were lovely.

I've sailed Laser 2s as well, and the Lark is a 'proper' dinghy IMHO. Far better than a Laser2.

Enjoy it.

Tim
 
just moved on from the lark myself - one thing that was very important, espectially in lots of wind is a powerfull kicker. I had a 12:1 kicker and found that just ok. Make sure the blocks are ball bearing here as when you capsize you need to dump the kicker and you want it to run freely out.

I singlehanded the lark a couple of times but I found I was too light for it (12ish stone) and was overpowered at a force 3 or so. Still singlehanding in a drifter, good fair hull shape, nice amount of rocker results in a fast boat in light winds - sailing rings round all the other boats on the water at the time! get your weight right forward, I found the back edge of the deck by the mast made a great back rest in a drifter.

And to echo what a previous poster said. be carefull when on the c/board after a capsize. I managed to bend mine by standing about 6-8" away from the hull. The c/board is a 6 or 7mm aluminium sheet and easily defforemed, howevrr I here the newer boards are made out of a alu composite whihc result in being far more stiff.

Another thing, when getting into the boat, be carefull where you put your knees. I managed to put my knee through the bouyancy tank - still got a £2 coin sized hole in mine - never did qute get around to fixing that!!

However, enjoy, they are great boats.

Out of interest, what's your sail number?
 
Hi there, had a wee look at your videos. Your sails do look a bit tired, but will be fine to get you started. The extra bag in the bottom of your mainsail is called a shelf. You may notice that the material here is different from that of the rest of the mainsail.

The shelf is there as the lark rules stipulate that the main sail needs to be attached to the boom along its entire length but this does not create an aerodynamic shape and thus the shelf.

The most important thing here is that when you pull the out haul on tight - way tighter than in that vid - is that the heavier sail material is flat along the boom with the softer shelf material hanging lose. The idea being when it gets windier, you want the sail to be flatter.
To do this you want to pull the Cunningham on hard (down haul) should be a cringle about 6" up from the gooseneck on the sail.
Pull the outhaul on hard - literally as hard as you can get it
And finally the kicker on hard also - the full length top baton created allot of power and the kicker controls this some what.

With regard to your first video, the halyard you are playing with at 1min 24. Is for the spinnaker - don’t worry bout this just now there is plenty of time to play with this when you can sail the coat round the course competently

Other than that, good lookin boat, they sail well, jus put some love into the boat and she will give you some big smiles.

Regards,
Scruff
 
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