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. . . Pete, first you have to define what is "better".


Point taken. In retrospect, the question might better have been: Are masts strong enough?

I'm aware of two catastrophic mast failures this year. One alu. one carbon.

In its convoluted way, this brings me back to the the F16 question about "mast tip weight". I'm inclined to keep the rule. As a consumer, I just don't trust lighter masts.


As with everything.. there are good carbon masts and bad carbon masts, good al mast, bad ones. You can make a crappy POS carbon one or a POS al one. If the price of carbon comes down I think all masts will be carbon though because there are advantages. Just because it is lighter doesn't mean it is weaker. But what % of sailors can utilize the advantage is a different thread.

Last edited by PTP; 05/24/07 08:13 AM.