Kevin Cook said some years ago that the bare tube weighed 14.7lbs and then you have to add in local reinforcements. But he didn't say how much. Does someone know that weight, rigged or unrigged (please specify)? Thanks, Steve

31.7 lbs according to the class rule (page 21)

http://www.tornado.org/uploads/documents/2007%20International%20Tornado%20Class%20Rules.pdf

Thank you. I had the rules and it never occurred to me to look there. Steve

For an alloy mast, the rules say (Appendix B section for Alloy masts) 23 kg min...which is 50.7 lbs.
The new Carbon rig is 14.4 kg min (31.7 lbs).

OK, the rules say that the carbon fiber mast is to be weighed horizontally, "supported" (I assume by scales) at the "upper point" and "lower point". Those points are spec'd at 9294mm and 379mm, I can't find spelled out from where, but from the bottom of the mast, "mast datum point" seems reasonable. The rules then specify a max weight (totally rigged) of 14.4kg(31.7lb)(mast) and 6.3kg(tip) Unless I've missed something that gives a total mast weight of 20.7kg (45.5lb) This is a minimum. It also seems a bit heavy. Am I missing something here? Steve

The total overall weight is 14.4 kg. The tip weight is not additive to the overall....it's just a method to ensure the top of the mast isn't extremely light (and therefore weak) while the bottom is made heavier to make up the min. weight total.

Thanks, Mike. I imagined a scale at the upper and lower points. I couldn't imagine that someone would scrimp on a $5k mast. While I have your attention, has anyone ever broken a Marstrom mast from sailing? And I mean from natural sailing forces (like wind) not from having a jetski hit you while sailing.

I used to sail out of Ventura/ Channel Is regularly before you moved there.(I live in Utah, but my sailing buddy used to lived in Simi) Greatly disappointed to drive by last year and actually see what they did to that little beach. And Ventura used to be free and nice. Anyway, I thought we would meet someday. It case it never happens, Hi! Steve

I know of only two carbon breakages...one was at one of the first events after carbon was introduced....a boat capsized in the rough stuff near harbor entrance and took a pounding on the bottom, destroyed the mast.

The other happened about 1 year ago at the Miami OCR...Robbie Daniel's boat had just left the start line in about 25+ knots of breeze...he was a few hundred feet ahead of me when BANG, the mast broke in half near the spreaders.



From inspecting the remains, it looks as though the spreader adjuster had failed.

> While I have your attention, has anyone ever broken a
>Marstrom mast from sailing? And I mean from natural
>sailing forces (like wind) not from having a jetski hit
> you while sailing.

I witnessed a carbon mast breaking last year on a downwind
leg. Wind was extremely gusty force 4-6. Water was flat.
It turned out that the diamonds were not sufficiently tightened.