Hi Phill,

Not that you're near that point ;-)

but we've had PRÉCOURT made shrouds on our Fboat for three years now. She doesn't stand rigged up, since she lives on her trailer.

But, that said... we just got our rig back from PRÉCOURT. We sent the shrouds to him for to check and replace if necessary. That because we'd noted some chafing on the lower ends near the deadeyes. Erik respliced them for us, saying that since there was enough to retuck, he would just tuck back most of the chafed bit and that the shrouds should last several more YEARS. When we got the boat the shrouds were already aboard, I have to assume for at least two years before us?

Frankly, I'm impressed with the durability. That said, we do take good care of the shrouds. When we rig down we are always VERY sure to thoroughly rinse the rigging in fresh water. Although I've never seen it documented, it seems to me that salt crystals in the fibres would chafe and cut, as they do in sails.

I've gone to PRÉCOURT rigging for my Square as well. Wow, it sure is nice to stow and deal with nice lightweight fibre rather than heavy 'have to stow it just so' wire (gotta avoid that stainless memory bending issue). I can't speak too much to how it's behaving on the Sq because I've been sailing the Fboat so much the Sq is rather bereft. Fibre shrouds have a bit more windage but I would imagine the weight aloft savings wins that battle.

Phill, if you've joined the Fboats yahoo list. One of the moderators is doing his own tests of UV degradation on textile rigging. Of course results take years ;-)

Now, I must say, after tooting the proverbial horn about fibre rigging... a couple of interesting notes:
1. Smyth is all wire-rigging on his F25C. I'm not sure why, but I do know he stores the boat mast up on a lifting rack behind his house. Which may well have something to do with his rig choice.
2.Scharl (GAMERA, arguably the second fastest F25C in the US) has moved from a textile canting rig back to all wire static rig. His crew Mark (Zaranski, or "Z") has recently posted at the Fboats list to elaborate why. It's a good read, I'll go search it up if you like.

To my knowledge, I don't think Smyth has ever canted his F25C, although I do believe the 31-1D that he was racing on (ROCKETEER) did cant, but then the 1D came stock with canting. IIRC.