Re-rigging the Club’s Best Laser

For the last couple of years the Laser fleet at QYC has struggled to provide a club Laser that would give prospective Laser sailors a real sense of what sailing a good Laser feels like. By good, we meant we wanted the prospect to experience the easy to use “new” rigging. Our club Lasers are all pre-2000 vintage.

This year we were determined to get at least one re-rigged Laser ready for racing. The issue that came up immediately was whether we would rig with Laser standard parts or not. We all agreed that that would be best, but it was tough to see how we could afford it with the cuts we were each having to make in our sailing budgets.

The first plan was for each of us to look through our cache of spare Laser parts and decide what we could give to the club Laser supply box. I’ve known since mid-season last year that I was going to give the club a good practice sail I’m ready to retire. It is good enough for beginning racers and adults wanting to learn. Besides the sail, I decided to trim down my supply of control blocks and throw in a few bits of line we could use. Others are going through their spares and will bring what they can to our first work day this Sunday.

Our big challenge has been to find a way to get a legal vang and deck hardware for the cunningham and outhaul. QYC stepped up to do its part. Each fleet has a small budget and gets some of the residue from regattas we run, the Laser’s share is just enough to purchase the critical components and the Laser fleet will fill in the rest.

It’s discouraging to have to watch costs so closely, but such is life in the midst of a recession. One of our four Lasers will be ready to go and that’s a great start, and a real tool for building our fleet.