Laser Standard rig vs Radial rig

Thread starter #1
I sail a standard rig Laser. At my home site, the Carquinez Straight at the north end of the San Francisco Bay, the afternoon winds are usually in the high teens, gusting to the mid twenties. At 182 pounds that is a lot for me. I'm thinking of getting a radial lower mast and sail for windy conditions. Can someone with experience sailing both size rigs give me an idea of how much and what kind of difference to expect, or is it a wast of time?


Well-Known Member
Greg, you're the perfect size for the Standard. Of course you can think of the smaller rigs as reefed-down versions of the "real" thing, but actually it's a question of different weight classes. It's a form of equalization, and going outside your weight group doesn't make much sense. Sailing a smaller rig by yourself doesn't feel essentially different, and racing it in heavy weather against smaller sailors would be outright unfair :D

For the record, I am a(n overweight) Standard sailor who owns a Radial rig as well. Got it so lighter people can borrow my boat if they want to. Many have had a good time :)