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Is there anything in the rules about using carbon fibre over a light weight timber on the centre board or rudder blade.
Ryan 😈
😈Is there anything in the rules about using carbon fibre over a light weight timber on the centre board or rudder blade.
Ryan
Hi all
Well i know that only 1 or 2 qld sabres will go for the nations in Tasmania this year because the cost of the trip is cost prohibitive. The Qld team holds no grude with you guys but like i said its cost prohibitive. If any one has any ideas on getting down please tell us as i would try my hardest to talk dad into letting me go if the price is right. Also a few other members might turn up as well. Any info would be appreciated.
Ryan – 1546 Skinny 😈
😈Would be nice to hear who is going from each state?? and numbers from each state..
hope to see you thereCraig , both boats have there place.
Performance wise Lasers point higher and are faster than a sabre with a larger sail area for the full rig compared to the Sabre. Lasers are also around in large numbers and for many sailors an enjoyable boat.
Given they are the olympic dinghy class, they also attract a number of sailors who can take there racing very very very seriously. This can be displayed on both land as well as out in the water. Depends on which club you goto of course but this alone can be an interesting experience.
Lasers can also be hard to handle on occasions, especially in waves or swell conditions with lots of chop. Not to mention in a blow when you may find yourself going in alot down wind or when gust blow you over. The Sabre is more forgiving in both these areas.
The Sabre was designed for Port Phillip Bay in Victoria which has lots of waves , chop , swell etc. so cruising on a nice fast reach and catching waves can be great fun. Given the hard chines of the Sabre , the boat rides waves and responds well. The Laser has a much rounder curved bottom so in the same conditions can be very unstable.
Unlike a laser you actually sit in a sabre. The Laser is a boat which you sit on. This may not sound like much but in winter you tend to stay a lot dryer and warmer in a Sabre.
Many ex-laser sailors come to the Sabre ranks because they suffer back problems from hiking out over time. The sabre is sailed in a more upright sitting position compared to the laser which does not place as much stress on the lower back when hiking.
I also think the average sabre looks far better than a laser but thats just a personal opinion. Some of the well put together wooden boats seem like works of art, and some have been restored from 20 + years ago to look bran new.
The end of the day it depends where your intending to sail and what fleet you will be sailing against ie size and experience. It also depends on what you are looking to get out of it. You can improve your sailing just as much in a Sabre as you can with a Laser but probably stay a little dryer in the process.
I tend to find the Sabre class has a large number of very good sailors who are very competitive but they have come to the age where they enjoy there sailing without having to spend a lot of time on land keeping extra fit. As as group they sail well , many having 10 to 30+ years experience but they are also happy to accomodate the less experienced.
The Sabre is a more forgiving boat to sail, but it also handles really well when placed in the right hands, and will give you a lot of fun over a large number of years. They are around in large numbers and fairly easy to get second hand. For a beginner to intermediate person, the Sabre represent good value, is a more forgiving boat and gives the owner a lot more room to improve.
Hope this helps.
Paul, I thought it worthwhile to describe how Lindsay measured my mast bend.
1. Rig the boat with your normal rig tension and lay the boat on its side.
2. String a light cord down the mast track between the top black band and bottom black band…wind tape around the mast to hold the cord tight against the black bands.
3. Attach the main halyard to the end of the boom and tension the halyard so that the boom is approx the normal sailing height off the deck.
4. Tension the vang and mainsheet to how you would have it in heavy, moderate and light conditions.
5. As the mast bends a gap will open between the mast track and the measuring cord…make sure the cord is always tight as it may slacken off as the distance shortens with more mast bend.
6. Mark about 4 different positions on the mast from which to take measurements and record the distances between the outside mast track and the tight cord for each simulated wind strength.
I can’t remember the exact positions where Lindsay measured so it might be worthwhile checking with him…I am sure he would welcome feedback from anyone who does this so that avegare mast bend for sabre can be established.The Old masts were a lot stiffer and if anything masts tend to get softer with age. As for the cutout Lindsay is wrong. You can open up the track. My current mast was passed by the measurer and has an open track with no cutout. The problem is you still need the opened part to fit within the measurements. I would advise no one to cutout the mast as per the building notes as this leaves a weakness and has lead to broken masts. If you are going to cut out the mast only go just deep enough to allow the sail to enter.
As for the effect of stifness most like the flexable masts particularliy with the Irwin sails. The Hooper sails are said to perform better with a slightly stiffer mast or at least that was the logic a couple of years ago.
Dont forget that rig tension can make a mast softer but it will have only a small effect with those old masts.Stephen Early
I can’t answer all your questions.
I believe it would be illegal to pop rivet a mast track on to the mast.
I have used the same mast since 1992 and I don’t think the bend characteristics have changed.
It is a fairly light (not as light as John Dick’s mast – 1275).My mast bends as much as I want it to – which is very much controlled by the amount of luff round built into the sail.
Lindsay Irwin measured the bend in my mast before designing his current model sails and discovered that max point of bend was lower down than was previously in his computer…hence his current sails have a lot of fullness down low.
Interestingly, when Lindsay is asked to build a sail for 14 footers, he measures mast bend which is all he needs for his computer modeller to design a sail… 14’s are not one-design like the Sabre.
FYI masts in Vic are relatively very cheap…purchased in bulk by SSAV in conjunction with other classes using the same section. I’m not sure what the current retail cost is, but they used to be about $100 cheaper through SSAV.
Thanks all
have gone 4 a binks sail…close 2 me and easy if i have set up problems
Happy sailing all
ronny_f
1201
Demon Days
👿Eliza,
Not sure about now , but in the past people of 13 or 14 have been known to sail sabres in competition.
It depends more on the weight and height of the person.
Generally the main criteria is weight , so if so one is young and around 50 to 55kg they would be fine.
In fact in light winds they may find themselves at an advantage. The reverse of course applys when the wind kicks in.
On the other hand with the introduction of a two handed sabre category , two light weight people can sail a sabre together.
This provides experience for light / young people , as well as allowing then to race solo once they have enough weight and confidence in the same boat.
