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Thanks Rolf.

Yes, the mast failed (Robbie D.'s) just seconds after the start on the very wild Thursday of OCR (winds in excess of 28 kts, gusts beyond 30, despite the official race record <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />).

Apparently Robbie had capsized in the 1st race and the mast had hit bottom. This may have overloaded the adjustment arm and tweaked it out of column. After the gun for the second race, he & crew must have been powering up, cranking on mainsheet/downhaul/trapping out...and loaded up the mast pretty highly. We were some 100 yards away and despite the howling winds, we heard the bang! Thought it was a collision...but looked over to see a forelorn boat without a mast.

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Thanks Mike!

I get psyched just by looking at the photos.. Oooo, to get sailing again (having the winter blues)

Shame about the broken carbon mast in the photos. Spreader adjustment arm that folded?


Mike, please don't spread rumors. Even though it's possible, you don't know that the mast hit bottom. You also don't know whether the crew landed on the mast during the capsize or whether there was something else wrong with the mast.

Anyway, my point is that you don't know the cause of the failure and should not act like the expert on this subject.

By the way... those winds were nowhere near 30 kts. At most we hit low 20s at times. C'mon man!