boom vang

[sea kayaker]

I am thinking of adding a boom vang to my Legacy. Any thoughts pro and con? I like the 15:1 ration on the standard Laser package. I'm not sure where exactly I would mount the hardware in terms of vang angle and  distance from the mast  out onto the boom.

[Craig]

The vang manufacturer should provide some recommendations in their literature. Check with them. The geometry of placement is pretty basic. 45 degrees is considered nominally optimal. That may not be possible dependent on the mast/boom setup. A few inches fore or aft won't make much difference. A vang is very useful in sail trim(plus) but is another line/device to deal with(minus). It really depends on your personal sailing objectives.