Has anyone actually folded a mast on an F16 or F18? I know lots of people worry, but wondering whether its just paranoia or sometimes it actually happens.

I've seen some of the first Infusions make really elongated tacos out of their masts. I'm not sure what the cause for that was. I sure have put mine through it's paces at times.

Crew on the wire, spin up, "Is the mast supposed to look like that?"
Me, driving, trying to do the math on how we can keep the kite up all the way up to the finish line, traveler nearly bottomed out, main twisted off as much as I possibly dare (a ton), head swiveling up and down to use the brim of my hat to fend the spray from the bows off my face, "We're flying and destroying the fleet...I'm not looking up, just so you know".

I haven't broken one, I've bent an F16 mast from a diamond wire failure though. It happened right at the bottom mark. We both hopped on the wire, sheeted hard, then POP. Immediately off the trapeze and back on the boat. So I'm almost certain it would've folded if we had been going down wind, or had not immediately gotten of the wire.
The Goodall wing mast that is on the Viper, and Falcon F16 is really soft. Which is perfectly fine and awesome if you use it correctly. But when someone turns the corner, the mast is rotated back, and the downhaul is on, with crew on the wire, its f-ing freaky looking.

I've seen a C2 mast do some really scary stuff when the other Karl and I were reaching hard to the finish at Steeplechase the second day with the kite up, double trapped and I failed to release the mast rotation. It was ugly. To be fair, it was kite up, kite down, kite up, kite down, kite up, kite down, trying to hold an angle. I'm scrawny, easily winded, and forgetful.

It's been done many times on both.

Oh yeah

I think there was a number of Viper masts at that Alter Cup that broke. It was nuking if I remember correctly.

Taylor and Mathew broke a F18 mast at Hyannis, I don't remember how or why.

Clearly I had a naive question. I've been petty careful , but did forget to release rotation on a breezy 15+ downhill leg. The picture I saw the next day scared the heck out of me.

That being said, the 4 short years I've been sailing these boats I've never seen it happen.

There wasn't many broken masts in that 2009 Alter Cup. I competed in that event and it was pretty mild weather for most of it.

Just one I think. It was Mike and Tripp, the diamond came off the spreader and they didn't see it, at least that was the theory.

I'm thinking of the global challenge which was about the same time then. I remember there being lots of carnage.

Thanks, that is at least giving me an idea about if we're heading in the right direction...

Aaaa - yes...I remember that being the case.