Flounder,

While I don't really care for a boat with a comp tip style mast from a performance standpoint it does seem to have some merit when you look at the statistics. It's not to prevent lightning strikes but rather to prevent the running it into overhead electrical wires. I'm a fairly intelligent being (by my own, and educational, account anyway) and twice now, I've come very close to running an all aluminum mast into power lines and realized so only after the fact. Hobie claims to have had no reported electrocutions associated with their boats and masts that have a comp tip. Again, while I think it's a little less flexible (no pun intended) with sail trim, it's hard to argue with this kind of statistic.