LASERS PICK THE YEARS BEST.

THE OLD GUY looks back at the years posts.  Some of them are pretty good.  To start off with the three that deal with boat maintenance.

LASERS COIL THE LINE.  January 19, 2011   This is worth looking at unless you are an old hand at handling all kinds of long ropes.

LASERS REVERSE THE SHEET July 17, 2011.  When you do it depends or you schedule.  Once a year at beginning of season if you don't sail much.   Problem for us in Florida where we sail all year long.  Don't wait till you see the wear at the ratchet block.

LASERS POINT THE RIVET AFT. October 25, 2011.  Even the most experienced can forget to do that if you are rushed to get out to the races.  Come early and mark your top mast and bottom mast so you have to be looking at the marks as you mess with the mast and the sail.

I have twelve more that I pick out as pretty good.  They will be coming next.

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LASERS JOIN THE CLASS.

The new year is coming up and you need to support your class and get the quarterly magazine "The Laser Sailor".   It is $40 for the year and send it to ILCA of NA, 2812 Canon Street,                                             San Diego, California, USA 92106   619-222-0252,  Fax 619-222-0528

I have temporarily given up on an index for the articles in this blog.   Too long.

Next will be my picks of the past year.

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LASERS PRINT THE BLOG.

This is one of the first pictures that I put up to lead an entry. I lead all the entries with a picture now although the picture does not always go with the material. This our Fundamental Rule 2 Regatta picture with all three entries on a Wednesday evening sail.   I like the Fundamental Rule 2 monkey business because I really don’t know what that means, except maybe we are just supposed to have fun.


There is a lot of good stuff in the previous issues of this blog. I think we have gotten to saying the same things over. I printed out the whole works and I suggest you do the same. It is a lot nicer to have it in your hand so you can read it like a book. Turn the pages. Oh, yes it is all backwards with the early stuff at the end. Life is not always perfect you know.

I did the print out to be sure to know where it is. People act like this stuff will always be out there floating around in space. I don’t pay anybody for this and I have no idea who runs it. It does keep changing a little. Any minute it may all disappear.

If you are new to Laser sailing, find the Primary Laser Advice that is the first entry and then repeated at least once more.

If you do print it out, give me a comment. It would be fun to know if anybody does.

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LASERS AND A LOT OF LITTLE THINGS.

There are a lot of little things (maybe not so little) that you can add to your sailing program.  Let me list a few.  Are your doing any of them?
1.  Be the first one rigged and out sailing to the course.
2.  Stay out and sail longer than anyone else.
3.  Sail more.  Sail more often.
4.  Clean the bottom of the boat.
5.  On a non-race day set the boat up.  Look things over.  Change what you want to have better.
6.  Make a check list of the things that you need to bring from home.
7.  After every race (soon after) make that list of the stuff that you did wrong and add it to the lists after every race.  Then review it regularly.
8.  Bring your rule book with you and maybe your appeals book.  Rules make the game.   If you have a discussion with your friends, you may need the rule book.   Maybe two.   See if you can find the May 28, 2010 blog "Lasers hail protest".  It is labeled  fun and rules.

Lasers point the rivet aft.

When you rig the boat don't forget to point the rivet in the top mast section aft (toward the goose neck) so it will be in compression when you bend  the mast.  If you are in a hurry it may be easy to forget.  You can break the top mast with a hard roll tack, if you young and strong and the rivet is wrong.  
Don't just wait for the carbon top mast.
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LASERS PRACTICE THE ROLL TACK

Big and Little, you need to practice those roll tacks.  They make a big difference.   And the tacks in medium and high winds are all different.  If you are interested is finishing higher in the races, you need to get in more practice time.
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LASERS USE THE CHECK LIST

IF you are young and forgetful or old and forgetfu,l then you need a check list of the things that you need to take to the boat with you..

Here is a little list that you can add to or subtract from.  Write it on a card and keep it with something that you won't forget.

Sailing clothes.
Hiking pants.
Water shoes.
Gloves.
Cold weather stuff.
Watch.
Sun glasses.
Boat parts you brought home to repair.,
Sails.  Light and/or heavy  air.
Extra tell tales.
Tools.
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