It broke at a regatta when we were out front - no hiding that. I built a new pole from scratch - bought a 24-foot stick of thicker-walled aluminum, cut it and anodized it to make two new poles. The diameter in the US is Imperial rather than metric like the stock pole. In any case, the rule says that if you change anything, you need to update your certificate. Since I've been one of the cheerleaders behind trying to get the North American Class up-to-date on the rule (I had the only certified boat in the USA for some time), I would have felt pretty foolish if someone nailed me on an infraction of the very rule I was promoting.