Laser Standard Sail Mk.2

The mk.2 Laser Standard Sail © ILCA

The mk.2 Laser Standard Sail ©Luka Bartulovic

The mk.2 Laser Standard Sail © ILCA

The mk.2 Laser Standard Sail © Luka Bartulovic

Change is a long time coming in the Laser class, and hard won when it happens. The concept and design created by Ian Bruce and Bruce Kirby all those years ago was brilliant, and has certainly stood the test of time, but when you create a strict one design like the Laser, you cannot possibly foresee how technology and materials will develop and progress some forty years down the track.

The control systems, the vang, the outhaul and the cunningham, have all been updated over the years, without corrupting the essential one design nature of the class. Somehow changes to the construction and materials of the standard sail have stubbornly resisted progress, despite there being a great need for it.

That was until late last year, when the new radial cut standard sail was introduced, though at this stage introduction is only partial, with the sail not legal at this year's Olympics in Rio, or for any of the qualifying events. That means that anyone with aspirations of going to the Games isn't using it.

This probably explains why the majority of buyers to date have been masters sailors, and in general they have embraced the new sail, and convinced themselves that it is better than the old one, though there is some scepticism as well. The upcoming Standard Masters' Worlds in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, (19th to 29th May) will show just how whole heartedly the old guys have taken to it.

The stated intention from the International Laser Class Association is that the Mark II sail should not eclipse the old sail in any aspect other than durability. Clive Humphris, the ILCA Technical Officer is quoted in the class magazine as saying "The main objective of the design project for the Mark II was to create a sail with equal performance to the existing sail, but with better durability. We worked very hard to ensure that the Mark II was not a faster sail and wouldn't make all the existing sails obsolete overnight. The original Laser standard sail will continue to be available through authorized Laser dealers and we fully expect to see the two designs racing side-by-side for a number of years."

So what is new and different about this Mark II sail? For a start it is made from a heavier cloth, 4.5 ounce instead of the 3.8 ounce Dacron of the old sail. It is also radial cut, so I guess there has been a gain in knowledge from the experience they already have from making the smaller radial sail. The reinforcing patches are also better placed and constructed, so helping both durability and maintaining sail shape under stress.

Another big improvement are the tapered battens, with Velcro closing batten pockets. There is also an improved mast sleeve, which reduces, but doesn't eliminate the creases from the mast join to the clew. There is also the bigger window for better visibility.

There is strong opinion that the Mark II sail performs better in the lower wind range, below about 15 knots, when it is trimmed properly, and that is the critical thing, this sail is much more sensitive to trim. The old sail seemed to encourage some bad habits, like pulling on piles of Cunningham and vang, and sheeting block to block. That just doesn't work with the new sail.

The Cunningham has less influence than the outhaul, and the sail is more sensitive to vang tension, as for the mainsheet, the arms had better be strong, because it needs constant but subtle attention. The tapered battens help to create a really nice sail shape, but there is no ability to vary the tension in the battens with the Velcro closing strips when inserting them, because they do not protrude beyond the end of the pocket.

The leech flutter that the old sail developed very early in its life has been eliminated in anything under 20 knots, but in the higher wind ranges the Mark II sail is very hard work, and will suit the heavier sailors. The sail has a more even shape from head to foot, and the tapered top batten does a particularly good job of producing a rounder shape at the top.

There is still plenty to be learnt about getting the very best out of the sail upwind, but opinions are similar across the board about what needs to be done. For down wind sailing the jury is still out on what is fast, with big variations in technique sometimes producing surprisingly similar performances.

There is a strong current of opinion that says the sail needs a lot of breaking in. Some believe it needs the equivalent of a week of heavy use to get it into a competitive state. Brett Beyer, one of Australia's top masters sailors and renowned coaches commented on this subject, "It seems the sail, with its firmer leeches and better quality cloth needs more 'break-in' time than the old cut sail. This was the general agreement amongst those that have used the sail far more than I have."

There is little doubt that this Mark II sail is a very positive move for the class, and as with any change there will always be the doubters, but I will be very surprised if well over 50% of the fleet at the Masters' Worlds aren't using the sail. It is also going to be very interesting to see what happens after Rio when the younger sailors get hold of this bit of kit and really put it through its paces.