Ok Guys,

In order to prove me right, or wrong you need to get a Mechanical Engineering Statics/Beam Loading Analysis Textbook and do some reading. Since I haven't studied this subject in 30 years it's kind of hard to explain the subject matter anymore. (Wouter where are you !!!!) But the difference in a 45*/45* to a 75*/15* bridle attachment angles makes a large difference in the X-axis and Y-axis loadings. (I find I need to make some drawings to analize the problem)

2) Mark's comments about how low the chute is on my P19MX are true ... but like on the "T" you run the chute w/ all the crew wieght aft ... this pulls the bows up and the pole stays clear of the water

3) My pole was also a windsurfer mast ... IMHO a alum PIPE looks like an evil misdirected plumbing job gone wrong. Boats are designed w/ curved lines ... that's what makes them look beautiful. Now I constructed and installed a dolphin striker on my spin pole so I could induce some pre-bend in the spinpole ... I used a section cut from the "butt"end of the windsurfer mast, split it length wise to make the cradle and used a piece of a Hobie Hotstick as the vertical strut, then using 1/8" spectra I tensioned it.

To attach it to the front crossbar I located a old H16 Rudder gudgeon and installed it on the front crossbar. I put a "plug in side of the wind surfer mast and filled the "butt" w/ "MarineTex for approximently 6". Next I carved out the MarineTex so the pole fit over the gudgeon. Using a shortened rudder pin I drilled a hole from side to side through the pole aligning w/ the gudgeon on the front crossbar. Simple and I used alot of "scrounged" parts. Oh, I painted the spinpole white for UV protection and appearence.

3) Nacra Front Crossbar reinforcements: Go out and look at your Nacra ... you will find the following: a round front crossbar .... the dolphin striker ends just at the point where the two hulls meet the crossbar, the dolphinstriker is bolted to the underside of the front crossbar.

Now the mast pushed down on the crossbar (hence the dolphinstriker) .... the hulls push up due to "floatation" ... so what is happening at those 1-2" at the point where the dolphinstriker ends and the inside edge of the hull? The front crossbar is under a concentrated load ... If that front crossbar collapses/kinkes ever so slightly ..... Let's just say the odds are extremely high that you will experience what is called in engineering terms ... "A CATRASTOPHIC FAILURE"

My P19 front crossbar while "wing shaped" and not tubular, shuffers from the same type of failure. And in fact mine did!!!! But there are no factory reinforcements availible for the P19 unlike the Nacra's ... So I took sections of my broken front crossbar ... cut the tramptrack off and DROVE a 18" section on both Port and Starboard sides, inside of my replacement front croassbar so that I reinforced the highly loaded section of my front crossbar. Note I had to use longer bolts to reattach the dolphinstriker and I used some rivets to hold ths reinforcement sections in-place

I've got to run now ... I'm several hours late on leaving to go help w/ Fleet 54's Gunpowder Regatta. Post any questions and I'll answer them when I get home on Sunday

Harry