Kevin,
Now you are really confusing me. You are saying that the variation in Tornado platform weight is several ounces out of 284 pounds or about 0.1%, one tenth of one percent. That platform is made up of two composite hulls, some fixed rigging and two aluminum beams 10ft long each. These aluminum beams are extrusions. They seem to be very consistent in weight and therefore other properties. Why is it that the extruded beams can be so consistent and yet the extruded masts are out of control??? The company that manufacturers the carbon mast also manufacturers the aluminum mast. The only company that manufacturers the carbon Tornado mast is the company that is partitioning the class officials to change to the carbon mast. Is the fox in the chicken coop??? Other classes have no problem extruding aluminum masts by the hundreds that are identical. If the Tornado class has a problem doing this, maybe they need a new aluminum extruder with better quality control.
There is one other important point relative to the carbon mast. Carbon sands very very easy, cuts fast. Sandpaper cuts carbon like crazy. What is to keep a carbon mast owner from sanding his mast to make it bend to fit his weight? If he does is this legal or illegal???
Bill