Of the Laser Borg

22.49 in Boat Plans, borg, laser, of, the

Many years ago; my one and only Laser - sail no. 549.

Photo: Ellie Martin

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Not Turkey Carving but Laser Carving

01.54 in Boat Plans, but, carving, laser, not, turkey

We Americans are just finishing up our Thanksgiving feast weekend, Roast, baked, or fried turkey is the centerpiece and carving the turkey into white or dark meat pieces is all part of the tradition (and then add the gravy, stuffing, oyster or regular, mashed sweet or white potatoes, cornbread, vegetable casseroles of all sorts ..... well, you get the idea).

Segue into a sailing theme, in this case Olympic sailors carving their Lasers downwind. (Carving, in this case, a maritime definition borrowed from the surfers and meaning the radical changes in direction to stay on a wave.)

And surprise, surprise, an American in the lead in this one!

• A previous post about Laser carving.
• Torquing the Laser upwind.

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LOpti or the Laser 3 3

20.01 in 3, Boat Plans, laser, lopti, or, the

I dont know how I missed this but several years ago, sailing coach Dan Brandt at Richmond Yacht Club introduced a Laser with an Opti rig. I would imagine Richmond Yacht Club, being just off to one side of the very windy and choppy Berkeley Circle on San Francisco Bay, would find a very depowered Laser of great use for their junior sailors. Come to think of it, at this time in my life, this is just my speed for racing a Laser in anything over twenty knots.

More info on the LOpti can be found here.

Also, at about the same time the LOpti came out (2011) there was, that year, another performance rig introduced for a Laser.

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