How to Sail the Laser

HOW TO---

The little boat has been around for 35 years plus and there is a lot of information out about how to sail it.

So this BLOG is just some ideas to bounce off.

If you are just starting then go to PRIMARY ADVICE of Feb. 09. That is the best starting place.

There are a lot of books and DVDs to tell you how to do it.

Books:

Dick Tillman "The Complete Book of Laser Sailing" The first and revised and new sections added. The old bible

Glen Bourke "Championship Laser Sailing" How to, plus the story of his run to World Champion.

Ben Ainslie "The Laser Campaign Manual" includes a CD ROM. Great picture sequences.

Ben Tan "The Complete Introduction to Laser Racing" Not written by world champion but biggest and most complete with training and medical section. If you only have one book, get this one.

Tim Davidson "The Laser Book" Some of the best pictures.

Paul Goodison "RYA Laser Book" Great pictures and advice with some simple things glossed over.

DVD:

"Laser Coach 2000 CD" Computer thing with around the course format.

Rick White "Red Hot Sailboat Racing DVD" Basic DVD The one to start with.

Steve Cockrell "Rooster Sailing Lasser Boat Whisperer" both "Up wind" and "Down wind" DVDs These are the MUST ones. Advanced sailing. Do a lot of the other stuff first so you don't get to scared with the high wind materal.

Michael Blackburn "Bass Strait Laser" Crossing Bass Strait
is a long time on a broad reach. Amasing what he puts on and can still sail a Laser. Surfing and gybing sequences. Maybe share this one with friends but you can skip this one.

"Advanced Laser Boat Handling" DVD by the Laser Training Center in Cabarete. Instructional DVD pictures of professional type sailors demonstrating tacks, gybes, etc. If you really want to be good you should see this DVD.

"Sailfit Seminars" DVD Sailfit.com... 82 minutes from Kurt Taulbee's Seminars in Clearwater, Florida. He has given a 5 day seminar here in Eustis, Florida. and is well thought of. Tillerman attended at least one of his in Clearwater. A good look at seminar exercises and lots of stuff done the wrong way with Kurt's comments. The comments cover some new ground for us. You should see the no rudder exercise, if you have ever tried it and given up. How about pulling up the centerboard on the starting line, if you want to slide to lee a little.

"Daring Downwinds-- Clearwater Pass" DVD Sailfit.com
Kurt Taulbee's video of the high winds and high waves as the tide rips out the pass, the high winds blow in and crazy radial sailors try to get back in. Some comments about how to handle it by Kurt, but more questions than answers. A little like the Bass Strait Crossing, but with a bunch of wipe outs.

At Lake Eustis Laser fleet you can borrow all these books and DVDs from Sam. In another fleet maybe just divide them up and get most to pass around. All the advice is not the same and you get a little different flavor from each.

Now if you do that -- you can skip all the stuff I put in the right hand side of this blog.

Thursday, December 25, 2014

A NEW LOOK AT THIS BLOG

The visits to this blog have dropped a little to about 50 a day, but the span is quite wide. In order USA, China !, France, Germany, UK, Canada, Ukriane !, Australia, Russia, and New Zealand.

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

HOW TO SAIL THE LASER CLOSES.

THIS OLD FELLOW CAN'T MAKE THE STUFF WORK ANYMORE SO I WILL CLOSE THIS BLOG. I DON'T KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO IT. THERE IS A LOT OF GOOD STUFF POSTED IN THE PAST SIX YEARS AND I PRINTED IT ALL OUT SO AT LEAST I WILL HAVE IT.

SOME OF IT IS PERSONAL, BUT NOT MUCH.

I HAVE TACLKLED THE "FUN THING" MORE THAN ANYONE.

I AM STILL SAILIJNG SEVERAL TIMESW A WEEK ALL YEAR LONG AND GOING TO THE GYM 3 TIMES A WEEK --- I HOPE THE SAME FOR YOU... SAM

Thursday, January 30, 2014

LASERS STUMBLE

Failure is a success if we learn from it.

Sunday, January 26, 2014

LASERS THINK.

THINK ABOUT SAILING.
Need 10,000 hours to get good.
Need time ashore. Don't hurry off to sail. Rig the boat. Check the lines. Change them if they are wearing. Check the tell tails. Clean the top and bottom. Bailer working? Check the blades, tiller and extension.

Need practice time. Now get out of the water. Starts. Tacks. Transitions. Mark rounding. Gybes. 360s. 720s.

Get someone to practice with you.

Need to play with the boat. Turn over. Walk around the deck. Sail backwards. Get a kick out of sailing it.

Now you are ready to race.

Thursday, January 23, 2014

LASERS TAKE THE LONG WAY.

There is no short cut to
a worth while goal.

Sunday, January 12, 2014

LASERS LOOK BACK AT 2013

This post is without a picture because my picture thing doesn't work.
I had 15 posts in 2013 and 7 of them are worth reading. I have said about all I can about sailing this little boat .. Now just saying some of the things a different way.

TAKE A LOOK AT THEM.