Is it that they are saying that the boat is faster by not rotating the mast to 90 degrees with the spinnaker up?
They are and it is. It's also true your mast is more stout than the AHPC mast so you have more wiggle room. The AHPC mast has only made me nervous during a double trapped spin reach while playing the traveler, thank goodness the water was flat.
The AHPC mast is soft, but I wouldn't call it weak. I don't think there is any more or less breakages than any of the others, (except the Tiger mast, that thing is indestructible)
The best mast I've had for a Viper was the softest. Could be just the way my sails worked/were cut too, but they were extremely responsive with that mast.
Mast's can do a lot more bending than you'd think before they pop. I've seen a F16 mast do some really scary things, on my own boat, and on others.
Karl's Beth's mast was getting pretty ugly on our last gybe to the finish line at Steeplechase, but there wasn't a time when I was in a panic about grenading it.
