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The Complete Book of Laser Sailing
The definitive guide to the Laser. The Complete Book of Laser Sailing is the most comprehensive book about successfully sailing and racing this popular and challenging high-performance dinghy. Dick Tillman tells you everything you need to know about the boat and how to set it up and sail it,
160 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 2, 2019
I probably have no business sailing a Laser. I’m 67, not too fit and haven’t sailed much in the last 30 years. But I like to go fast and I like to sail. I bought a fairly old Laser, but in beautiful condition. I’ve sailed it probably a dozen times and each time I get better. But I do a lot of swimming and climbing in is a lot of work. Also, dragging it up on the beach, especially pushing it uphill in an onshore wind, is hard work.
I bought another book, The Laser Book, by Tim Davison last year after I bought the boat. It was very good at explaining the basics, especially about rigging. It also covered the basics of sailing the boat. But for what I wanted, making the boat go fast, it was not nearly as good as this book. Tillman’s book is obsolete as far as rigging goes. There have been at least two major upgrades to rigging and the sails, making quite a few pages unnecessary. But for how to make the boat go fast, Tillman’s book is the best.
The basics of both books are quite similar: Sail the boat flat. The more wind there is, the tighter all four controls (vang, mainsheet, Cunningham, outhaul have to be). Find a way to steer using the rudder as little as possible. Got it? Now train for the Olympics, swimming as well as sailing.
How and why are addressed quite thoroughly in the Tillman book, less so in the Davison book.
What is lacking in both books are some things that experienced people do without thinking. Like, what is the fastest way to reel in the mainsheet using both hands? I use my teeth, but this only works because I sail in a nearly pristine lake. There must be a better way. What do you do with all the line collecting in the bottom of the boat so that it does not become entangled with your feet?
One great part of the Tillman book has to do with the length of the tiller extension. He has a specific recommendation. But still, when the extension is on the wrong side of the mainsheet, how do you get it on the right side without drastically changing the course of the boat?
Tillman emphasizes not impeding the progress of the boat with the rudder, and tells you how to steer the boat by shifting your weight. I get it in theory, and I am anxious to try it, but I fear this will lead to a lot of swimming.
A big oversight in the Tillman book, something advanced sailors do without thinking, is providing instruction on how not to foul the mainsheet on the transom while gybing. This is one of my biggest and most frustrating problems.
This book contains a lot, and it is probably not the best book for a beginner. However, for an intermediate and even an advanced sailor it is good. I doubt I will ever be able to implement half of what is suggested here, but it provides great direction in terms of what is possible and how to get there, skipping a lot of trial and error, if not swimming.
YouTube is a great supplement to this book. There are lots of videos of very exciting Laser sailing and even a few instructional ones that are slow enough to follow. YouTube also has excellent videos on modern rigging of Lasers..
If you are an absolute beginner, you should probably buy the Davison book first. If you are an experienced sailor, I think that this book, supplemented by YouTube is the best option.
I bought another book, The Laser Book, by Tim Davison last year after I bought the boat. It was very good at explaining the basics, especially about rigging. It also covered the basics of sailing the boat. But for what I wanted, making the boat go fast, it was not nearly as good as this book. Tillman’s book is obsolete as far as rigging goes. There have been at least two major upgrades to rigging and the sails, making quite a few pages unnecessary. But for how to make the boat go fast, Tillman’s book is the best.
The basics of both books are quite similar: Sail the boat flat. The more wind there is, the tighter all four controls (vang, mainsheet, Cunningham, outhaul have to be). Find a way to steer using the rudder as little as possible. Got it? Now train for the Olympics, swimming as well as sailing.
How and why are addressed quite thoroughly in the Tillman book, less so in the Davison book.
What is lacking in both books are some things that experienced people do without thinking. Like, what is the fastest way to reel in the mainsheet using both hands? I use my teeth, but this only works because I sail in a nearly pristine lake. There must be a better way. What do you do with all the line collecting in the bottom of the boat so that it does not become entangled with your feet?
One great part of the Tillman book has to do with the length of the tiller extension. He has a specific recommendation. But still, when the extension is on the wrong side of the mainsheet, how do you get it on the right side without drastically changing the course of the boat?
Tillman emphasizes not impeding the progress of the boat with the rudder, and tells you how to steer the boat by shifting your weight. I get it in theory, and I am anxious to try it, but I fear this will lead to a lot of swimming.
A big oversight in the Tillman book, something advanced sailors do without thinking, is providing instruction on how not to foul the mainsheet on the transom while gybing. This is one of my biggest and most frustrating problems.
This book contains a lot, and it is probably not the best book for a beginner. However, for an intermediate and even an advanced sailor it is good. I doubt I will ever be able to implement half of what is suggested here, but it provides great direction in terms of what is possible and how to get there, skipping a lot of trial and error, if not swimming.
YouTube is a great supplement to this book. There are lots of videos of very exciting Laser sailing and even a few instructional ones that are slow enough to follow. YouTube also has excellent videos on modern rigging of Lasers..
If you are an absolute beginner, you should probably buy the Davison book first. If you are an experienced sailor, I think that this book, supplemented by YouTube is the best option.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews