Laser XD Tuning Guide
Heavy Air 15kts+
When tuning your laser for heavy air upwind sailing its time to crank on the vang and cunningham to the max when overpowered. It is essential to keep the boat moving because the blades generate lift. The laser likes to bear off and shoot forward, if you head up without enough speed the boat will also quickly slow to a stop. In flat water and wind over 15kts it is possible to plane upwind. Its essential to have sufficient vang tension while easing the sheet and hiking hard to take advantage of gusts. The boom should rise very little if at all when the sheet is eased in heavy air. A slow boat will slip sideways so the main goal is boat speed. De-power the sail when overpowered which will allow you to sail faster and efficiently upwind, flat is fast in a laser! The outhaul may be set tighter than medium air producing a flatter sail, remember the blades generate lift too so we want to reduce drag on the sail. Hike out hard keeping your feet close to the main block and moving back a few inches as the wind increases. Fore and aft trim is very important in waves. Plan your tacks for the crest of a wave because riding down the backside of the wave will increase boat speed coming out of the tack.
While tacking it is important to switch sides quickly and immediately hike out hard to flatten the boat and gain boat speed. Wait until the boat is flat to switch hands on the tiller and main sheet. It helps to put knots at the maximum settings for each control line and some tape markers on the outhaul to make it easy to tighten for upwind. It is essential to release the vang before rounding the windward mark. If the vang is on too tight the boom will hit the water and lead to a quick capsize. (if you do capsize with lots of vang on, release the vang before you right the boat) Release the Cunningham and outhaul just after rounding as they will help with your rounding. In order to round the mark you must ease the sheet quickly. If you don't ease the sheet there will be too much weather helm (drag) to make the turn downwind. The rudder will act like a brake if the sheet is not eased, almost like trying to stop the boat with a sideway paddle. (this applies in keel boat sailing as well)
For Downwind Sailing the vang should be lose spilling excess power. Having the vang tight will make it extremely hard to gybe without capsizing. Having a loose vang will allow some of the air to spill out of the leech, keeping the boat in control. The Cunningham should be released for sailing downwind or the boat will become unstable. Preset the outhaul for sailing downwind when rigging the boat. This will prevent problems during a race. Hike out while rounding the windward mark; it will increase boat speed around the mark while making catching that first wave easier. Remember you must ease the sheet! If surfing conditions exist, the speed gains achieved by surfing down a wave will most often be worth changing course. Sit towards the back of the boat while the boat is planning. Often the fastest course in heavy air takes some planning and tactics to find the wind gusts and waves rather than sailing a steady "by-the-lee" course. Find the balance between drag reduction, tracking and stability with the daggerboard.
Medium Air 10-15kts
Medium winds require a good amount of vang and Cunningham when overpowered for sailing upwind efficiently. Increase vang and cunningham as you become overpowered. This will vary between sailors of different sizes and weight. Crank on the cunningham if the wind is overpowering the boat and decrease tension if more power is needed for upwind sailing. Its best to set the controls for the lightest setting and adjust for gusts. In medium air the vang should be tightened at minimum so there is no slack when sheeted in block to block. Tacking in medium winds requires hiking hard to windward to decrease rudder movement (drag). Heel the boat to windward, sheet in block to block, sheet out and switch sides while maintaining heel, and then sheet in and flatten the boat. As wind speed increases less roll is needed on tacks and hiking out hard on the new tack becomes the top priority. Allow the boat to heel and then quickly flatten the boat when on the new tack. It is important to maintain boat speed when coming out of a tack. Remember speed will generate lift on the blades helping you gain distance to windward.
As you approach the windward mark release the vang, keeping the Cunningham on will allow for a quicker mark rounding. As you begin the downwind leg, raise the dagger board a few inches to reduce drag and release the Cunningham and outhaul. Raising the dagger board more than a few inches will make the boat unstable and unable to track well. Sit forward in the boat for downwind sailing unless you are surfing or planning. Healing the boat to windward will raise the sail up and catch better air while also reducing drag caused by the hull. It is essential to keep water flow on the hull and blades. If surfing conditions exist, it is essential to take advantage of each wave even if you must gybe and change course to continue surfing a wave. Several boat lengths can be gained from catching a good wave. Keep the boat balanced avoiding sudden movements which may make the boat unstable. Don't let the boom out past it’s by the lee position or the boat will become highly unstable resulting in a capsize to windward. If surfing conditions are not present, sailing by the lee is most effective downwind. As you near the leeward mark, prepare for the upwind leg by lowering the dagger board, adjusting the Cunningham and outhaul for upwind sailing. If you must gybe around the mark, wait to gybe until the mark is 90 degrees from your boom. Over sheet, gybe and then quickly sheet in while finishing the rounding close to the mark.
Light Air 0-10kts
When sailing a laser in light air it is essential to keep water flow on the blades and hull. When the wind is very low sometimes sheeting in block to block is fast and sometimes sheeting out a few inches is faster. The vang tension varies from loose to block to block and the cunningham from off to on slightly. Roll tacks are essential to maintaining boat speed, a good roll tack will maintain air flow on the sail and water flow on the hull and blades. A good roll tack starts by hiking out and heeling the boat to windward while sheeting in block to block (minimizing drag). Then sheet out and switch sides while maintaining boat heel. Next, hike out hard to flatten the boat while sheeting in and adjusting to the new course.
After rounding the windward mark be sure the main is in it’s by the lee position, it may be necessary to let the main out a few more inches in order for gravity to keep it in the proper position. Heel the boat to windward and keep any actions as smooth as possible. When nearing the leeward mark prepare for rounding by lowering the dagger board. While rounding in very light winds, heel the boat to leeward around mark and finish the rounding by flattening the boat and sheeting the sail in.
Reducing Weight
New boats and boats less than 3 years old can weigh as light as 129 lbs and up to 135. The target weight for a brand new laser hull from the factory is 130lbs. Six pounds doesn't seem like much until you consider that a hull that is 129lbs is close to 5% lighter. By using light weight lines that don't absorb water and trimming your control lines to the right size, especially the mainsheet, the boat weight is reduced even more. Although tying your mainsheet to the back of your hiking strap might be convenient, there is an extra 3ft of unnecessary line. If your lines absorbs water you could easily add 3+ lbs of weight. By drilling a few holes in the end of your boom, water can drain out quickly and easily after the boom touches the water in a roll tack, roll gybe or capsize. The boom can fill with water and add weight while you're racing especially if you capsize. If you capsize with a drain hole or two in your boom, by the time you're back in the cockpit the boom is completely empty. By weighing your next hull and paying close attention to the extra line in your rigging you could reduce 7+ lbs of weight over the competition. Starting out 6% lighter than the other guy can make a significant difference in one design racing. Also keep in mind older boats are generally much heavier since they have spent years absorbing moisture into the fiberglass. Older laser hulls probably weigh 15+lbs more than a newer laser. Even the clothes that you wear can make a significant weight difference. Dress for the conditions, but be weight concious. In the laser class 99% still comes down to the sailor, but with a good sailor with an optimized setup can sail even faster and do so more efficiently.
Friction
Cleaning your hull with normal soap and water, then use boat polish with Teflon or PTEF 2-3 times will make a visible difference in the way water adheres to your hull. The thin coating makes it so that the water appears to slide off the boat almost like a fresh wax on a car. A smooth hull has less drag and increased laminar flow area while a rough hull has more drag and increased turbulent flow area. Blades can also affect your boat speed, Laser sailors know the hum of the laser is caused by turbulent flow off the trailing edge of our dagger board. Both the dagger board and rudder come from the factory with squared off trailing edges. By lightly sanding the dagger board 100mm in from the trailing edge, turning the trailing edge into a smooth tip the hum will be reduced by creating a larger area of laminar flow over the blade. The rudder can be sanded 60mm in from the trailing edge to achieve the same effect.
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