Laser GoPro Mount Locations
This article also appeared in the Fall 2012 Edition of The Laser Sailor and is now featured here as well. It was written with help from Kyle Martin.
Sport cameras are a relatively new breed of cameras that are compact, waterproof, durable and can be easily mounted on all kinds of surfaces. This makes them great for boats and sailing and especially the Laser. The footage from these cameras is great as a training aid, as a keepsake of your sailing and as a way to share sailing with friends and family – just don’t bore them with 20 minutes of you sailing upwind with nothing happening. Not only do most of these cameras do video, but they can also be used for time lapse photography either to watch the whole series, or just to pick key photos of maneuvers , scenery or technique.
Disclaimer: While great for training and pleasure sailing, cameras are not legal equipment for racing on a Laser.
There are several different brands of cameras on the market each with their own strengths, weaknesses, price points, features etc. Kyle and I both use the GoPro Hero2 cameras, but any of these cameras could be mounted in the shots below.
| Bow Pro: Easy to set and forget, sees a great scene into the boat and all of the activity in the cockpit Con: Often submerged leaving wet spots on lens, risk of snagging others mainsheet Tip: Use a tripod mount on the bow eye for the most secure attachment. How-to Video |
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| Mast Facing Forward Tip: For best results, angle slightly off center to port. This ‘looks’ ahead around a mark or down the line on a start. Pro: Shows boats ahead of you Con: Boring video if you are in front How-to: Go Pro Mast Mount |
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| Side Mast Facing Aft Tip: To mount use a roll-cage mount with extra long screws Pro: Similar scene as the bow, but from a higher elevation. Con: Only works upwind |
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| Masthead Pro: Wide view shows boats around and position in cockpit Con: Unsteady in waves, weight aloft |
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| Mid-Mast Pro: Closer view of cockpit than masthead Con: Good video one tack, ok video other tack How-to Video |
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| Side of Boat Tip: Use a suction mount on the smooth hull surface. Pro: Interesting angles Con: more likely to be underwater, greater risk of getting banged against something |
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| Chest Pro: Great shots of hand-over-hand activity in the cockpit, putting the viewer in your seat Con: easy to obstruct the view with hands or bang camera with tiller extension and hiking out shows all sky |
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| Head Pro: Nice point-of-view shots Con: Scene changes fast as the wearer quickly looks around the boat to sail |
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| Boom Facing Starboard Tip: Wrist mount fits boom perfectly Pro: Unobstructed rear view downwind Con: Completely obstructed view on port tack by sail |
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| End of Boom Facing Forward Tip: Use roll cage mount Pro: Shows sailor in cockpit and what’s ahead when sailing upwind |
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| Stern Facing Forward Pro: Shows sailor plus what’s ahead Con: Slight risk of snagging your mainsheet Pro: Shows sailor in cockpit and what’s ahead when sailing upwind |
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| Side of Dolly Pro: Can be used right-side up, or down |
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Jon Deutsch
Races Lasers, PHRF boats and anything else he can find to race and usually has a video camera running. Check out his YouTube channel.
Kyle Martin
Races Lasers and makes a variety of tips and tricks videos on how to make the most of GoPro Cameras. Check out his tips on his YouTube channel.
Other YouTubers posting Laser footage:
laserinternational, ClaySails, DCSSInstructors, Districttwelvelaser, ericjpetersen1, GRSALaser, jondeusch5, kylemartin101, laserd8, LaserPerformance, LaserTrainingCenter, lightningfleet192, nalsalam, paigesailor, prsalaser, robsuhay, rwbeigel, SailProCameras, sdalin27, syelland100, ussailing2, wjsymes, xdlaser, zorgetbetty, 5FishBoy5, raffak1, GreatDaneLaser, pgihockey13, sailingshack, lasertouring, jonemmettsailing, eshedsailing
Very cool, useful and thorough post! I’ll be using this as a guide the next time I shoot a Laser regatta!
What did you use to take the camera to the masthead? Thank you!
It was connected before the mast was put up.
Thanks for sharing!
Got a few questions:
– Have you tried using the wrist mount for the mounting the action camera on the “End of Boom Facing Forward” position before? How did that turn out? Was it secure?
– For your “End of Boom Facing Forward” mounting position, what size of roll bar mount did you use? (diameter?). Thinking of getting one for the next time I rent a Laser Pico to go sailing.
– How secure is the suction cup mount (especially for sailing)? Did it fall out often?
Marcus – the wrist mount at the end of the boom would likely see the stern quarter upwind, or be looking up in the air or way behind me downwind. For this reason I like this mount closer to where the boom vang hits the boom on Starboard as it gets more of me and the boat in the shot.
The roll bar mount for the boom is the standard GoPro roll cage mount. For use on the mast, I needed longer screws as what’s provided with the roll cage mount are not long enough to get it around the lower section.
The suction mount is not secure at all. I’ve only ever used it for practice or very low key races that I could stop and fix it or at least yank it off if I needed.
After years of using the camera the wrist mount on the boom is what I’ve used 90% of the time I’m sailing.
Hi, does the roll cage mount on aft end of boom facing forward work with aft sheeted main.(enterprise dinghy)
On the Laser it works just fine – there’s enough clearance between the spar and the mainsheet running between the boom blocks so that it doesn’t rub the bracket. The bigger concern with this bracket is healing over and letting the main out and dragging the camera through the water.
What mount did you use for the masthead?
I built a mount from a spring loaded clamp by bolting the tripod mount to it and then hanging the camera from it. Worked for light air conditions, but wasn’t going to be strong enough for the beating waves would create.