Your feedback......

Are you making the change? Clearly the next [Laser] rule changes will have to be stronger spars because with the new blocks it will be easier still to pull the boom down through the deck. Perhaps we are moving towards a racing rig whilst leaving the existing mast and boom as the "recreational rig". Not a bad thing too.

From David Mitre
Are you making the change? Yes, but in stages. I've replaced the key block in the kicker with a Harken 16mm twin pulley block and the rope loop with a single Harken 16mm pulley to keep an 8:1 kicker. I'm putting one block in the cunningham and three in the outhaul. I'll lead the outhaul and cunningham onto the deck when the unique builder supplied fittings become available as separate items. This has involved new blocks and rope and so far I've spent £65 and still need one block (another £7.50). The deck controls will add a lot more. Better control of the outhaul is the main benefit in my opinion and less wear and tear on rope. The latter would take a long time to justify the cost however.

From James Le Couilliard
Will the new block arrangements change Laser sailing? Certainly will in the short term! Just tried to order the bits from Laser to be told that they only made 100 sets of base plates and have sold out already and that it will take several weeks to get more in. So there are now a group of sailors with better kit which is denied to everyone else.

From John Greenwood
Laser on the right tack with new keelboat? Looks as though the boat will provide good racing for a range of age and weight groups. I hope that Laser do not restrict the potential market by introducing a low weight limit that effectively restricts the boat to having a small helm. 280 kg should allow a couple of rugby playing type guys and a lady companion to sail without having to watch what you have for lunch each day.....anything less than 275kg and Laser would be excluding a lot of sailors who may be interested in this type of racing.

From David Greening
How will all this affect GBR Challenge`s chances? This system looks to favour the rich, two boat syndicates and doesn't favour the teams working up through the series. Two boat syndicates should have better speed for the early rounds, so will eliminate one boat teams which have failed to get on the pace early on. They then appear to get to the challenger final stage, virtually un-challenged. This cannot be good for GBR, and will not help improve their database for future challenges. Maybe one boat teams should aim to work up together to ensure that the two boat teams have a harder time.

From Andrew Banks
How will all this affect GBR Challenge`s chances? It's often said that a camel is a horse that was designed by committee. I presume the some of the personnel on that committee have also been present on the Louis Vuitton organising committee. Several of the challengers (The Swiss and Paul Cayard most notably) have talked about reforming the event should they win it, and changing the way it is run. If this is a foretaste of the kind of thing we can look forward to should they win, then let's hope the cup stays in New Zealand. The (messy) 'structure' that has been developed hardly opens the sport up and makes it more comprehensible to the man in the street (unless he's a statistics freak), does it? Maybe that is no longer considered important and this is just pandering to the egos of Bertarelli, Ellison (who has apparently stated that he wants to drive the Oracle boat, and the other Bs?

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