>>>Wouter kind of brought this legnth to width issue up in the posts on the SC20TR

Actually I didn't, Bill did that, I just replied to his claim that the ARC/SC masts were the most streamlined of all alu double handed masts.

I don't have much of an opinion about the points you raise.

On theory it will all be correct but often alot of other issues play an important role as well. A very stiff mast in along the centreline of the boat (Large cord masts) make controlling the mainsail very difficult. You can "solve" this by designing a mainsail to be sailed with varying twist rather than varying draft. Problem with this is that it hurts pointing up wind. Etc etc. It may well turn out that 4:1 is aerodynamically better but practically worse. I refer also to the problems encountered with the fashion of having very long daggerboards lately. Also such a mast be limited in maximum draft is such a way that its low windspeed performance may be disappointing. On the other hand it may have superb performance when it encounters its design conditions.

I think experimentation is what is needed now to determine how much better or worse such a mast will be.

Wouter