Kevin-

Can't comment on the use of prebend in the Inters and N6.0's directly but there is a nice article on the Boyer/Taipan/AHPC website about wingmasts (which are all prebent to my knowledge in cats) that discusses rotation. I realize the N6.0 mast is not a "wing" mast but it might be helpful. Basically, the way I understand it- with the prebent rig the mast is actually "bent" fore and aft at rest and the lower section, supported by quite tight diamond tension, is "free" to bend more fore-aft but quite limited in it's sideways motion- The top portion of the mast (above the diamonds) however is still "free" to bend as it desires (and due to it's shape this is more side-to-side than fore and aft).

Rotation affects the sail differently above and below the hounds in that above the hounds it also effectively controls mast bend, while below it primarily controls depth of the sail/mast (of course it affects the wind entry and airflow over the mast/sail leading edge always) and therefore chord of the total "rig". Unlike a "soft" diamond rig, where derotating the mast serves to "power up" the rig, derotating is generally used to "depower" the rig since the chord is reduced and the top of the sail/mast is allowed to "spill" during gusts.

Which pictures are you alluding to? Perhaps I and others could look at them and comment directly?



Kirt