Small gift ideas for a Lazer racer? Help Required.

[Steamer]

A client / friend of mine has got quite serious about his boat racing - I think its a Lazer sail boat - single person craft.

I wanted to get him a marine related gift for christmas (rather than the usual bottle of port) but I'm a bit stumped, I have NO knowledge of sailing at all.

A recommendation would be really handy, I'm not talking alot of money - but really want to give him something useful for a change.

His other half did mention a compass type thing that you fit to the mast and it tells you your angle of lean - what the proper name for this?

Thanks for reading!

[xrv]

compases are exspensive £130-£150, with the mounting bracket another £20-£40.

A wind indicator is a good gift if he is into racing these get lost or broken about once a year so he will probably need one.

the following links are a couple of gifts that may be sutable. The suplier is realy good and cheap.

http://www.sailboats.co.uk/Product~Spinlock_Heavy_...

http://www.sailboats.co.uk/Catalogue~Laser_Wind_In...

http://www.sailboats.co.uk/Catalogue~Championship_...

http://www.sailboats.co.uk/Catalogue~Casio_Sailing...

http://www.sailboats.co.uk/Catalogue~Gill_Pro_Glov...

[Steamer]

XRV you are a STAR!!

Many thanks for your help there - everyone is an excellent idea!

[schmalex]

The angle of lean thing you are refering to is called a clinometer. TBH if he is racing a lot, he won't really need one, as he will know what is a fast angle. All the suggestions above are absolutely bang on. The only other things I would add are:

Tactics by Rodney Pattison - Rodney won the Laser worlds a few times, so this book has a lot of good references to Laser fleet tactics

Hiking shorts

[Shrimper]

Tactics by Rodney Patterson is an awesome book, and can be found new for less than a tenner. Theres also some good DVD's:

http://www.sailboats.co.uk/product~Ronstan_Awesome...

This one is Awesome Aussie Skiffs, not really related to Laser sailing but a DVD that any dinghy sailor has to watch at least once.

Rooster Sailing is a great company with some very innovative stuff. Steve Cockerill who runs it is a multiple champion in a huge number of classes, including Lasers, and is an absolute dude. Theres gift ideas of all sorts and cost on his website www.roostersailing.com.

Failing any of that, a nice warm hat always goes down a treat with any hardened dinghy sailor, it can be bloody freezing on the water this time of year, and I'm forever losing hats out the back of my boat

Hope that helps!

[Bushmaster]

I raced Lasers for ages.

Sailing gloves are always welcome as they get worn out quickly.

Sailing sunglasses, hat always good.

Sailing knife.

If you have a bigger budget, Laser sailors always want a new sail!

Loads of good Laser and general sailing stuff here:

http://www.roostersailing.com/

[BMWBen]

Bushmaster said:

I raced Lasers for ages.

Sailing gloves are always welcome as they get worn out quickly.

Sailing sunglasses, hat always good.

Sailing knife.

If you have a bigger budget, Laser sailors always want a new sail!

Loads of good Laser and general sailing stuff here:

http://www.roostersailing.com/

I still do - anything from rooster will be appreciated

If you want to really freak him out buy him a bag of replacement bands for his self bailer. He'll be very appreciative if slightly confused!

[Hard-Drive]

Revell do a nice Laser model kit, complete with it's own choice of sail numbers, could be a nice thing to have...

[Steamer]

He has a slightly odd sense of humor so I think one of the these cheap T-shirts will be right up his street for the club house:

Sailing Tshirts on Ebay

Just in time for Xmas.

[village idiot]

if he doesn't already have one (and he probably does), get him a mini-hawk wind indicator to fit on the mast just below the boom... i have one for my laser and it's great...

failing that, you can't go wrong with a fleecy hat which covers the ears!

that reminds me... i haven't checked on my laser down at the boat park for about 6 months... eek.. hope it's still there! will go check tomorrow

[Scooby_snax]

schmalex said:

Rodney won the Laser worlds a few times, so this book has a lot of good references to Laser fleet tactics

errrr and when did Rodney win the Worlds?

[schmalex]

Scooby_snax said:

schmalex said:

Rodney won the Laser worlds a few times, so this book has a lot of good references to Laser fleet tactics

errrr and when did Rodney win the Worlds?

Err, yes your right. I was thinking about Ed Baird when I wrote Rodney Pattisson

[Bushmaster]

schmalex said:

Scooby_snax said:

schmalex said:

Rodney won the Laser worlds a few times, so this book has a lot of good references to Laser fleet tactics

errrr and when did Rodney win the Worlds?

Err, yes your right. I was thinking about Ed Baird when I wrote Rodney Pattisson

TBH Ed Baird's book is a bit out of date on some of the technical aspects of the Laser, his boat had the old kicker, cunningham and outhaul kit so he goes on about 'super-vanging' etc that you don't need anymore. It's good on race tactics though.