The Alloy Tornado Masts were the highest quality you can buy but when the class allowed Carbon it was very clear that the Carbon masts were much quicker than the Alloy. So then to be competitive you had to have a carbon mast. Do you want that to happen in the F16?
Are they that much quicker?
I've talked to one of the top Tornado sailors in the US about this subject, and they have said that that's not true.
When the carbon masts were starting to be used there was a certain Tornado team looking for a carbon mast, but couldn't get it in time for the regatta. And this was a Tornado regatta, not some regular mixed fleet regatta so there was going to be really good sailors there.
Guess what, the team that was looking for the Carbon mast kicked everybody's butt in varying conditions at that regatta with an ALLOY mast.
Here is another example...
At the last Global Challenge, there was a Viper that had a carbon mast...Guess what, they didn't get in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or even 4th place...Well, I can't remember if they got 4th, but they weren't in the top 3.
I'm tired of this debate about if a Carbon mast is better than the Alloy mast, there have been plenty of instances where that is NOT true.
The only thing carbon does significantly better, is save weight...That's it...nothing else...Maybe stiffer.
Mike
Ok Mike,
If the Carbon mast is no quicker, why allow it?? the cost for a Carbon mast is many times greater than the Alloy ones so why open the door to such outrageous expenses when your class is pitched at non professionals?
And if the reason is that some of the founding boats had carbon masts then thats fine, grandfather those boats/masts and then for the future restrict it to Alloy and keep the cost of entry down to a reasonable level, therefore further enhancing the F16's growth.
