quote : New innovative Mast:
Its born to simplify the windsurfer's life in terms of time spent to find the correct mast and the correct set-up. It is the first and the only mast in the world with the reversible bottom section which creates two different bend curves depending on the side used.

The reverse : reptile-masts.com/reverse/

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seanhogan said..
quote : New innovative Mast:
Its born to simplify the windsurfer?s life in terms of time spent to find the correct mast and the correct set-up. It is the first and the only mast in the world with the reversible bottom section which creates two different bend curves depending on the side used.

The reverse : reptile-masts.com/reverse/

Not much is 'new' in windsurfing design (or most other things for that matter). In the early 80's we had Rotho fibreglass masts with carbon strips up each side so you could rig them half turn and have a stiffer mast or with the carbon on the sides which was supposed to resist sideways bend. Later, Rotho came out with a pre-curved mast! The top half was already pre bent about 20cm. Rigged on way it was stiffer and hard top. Rigged the other way had a soft top effect. I think that one had carbon up each side as well!

Not sure what the use of such a mast is. Most people commit to a certain brand and just get the masts that suit it. They tend not to change brands much, and if they do, they just get another set of masts. Of course, of you buy sails that are on the slightly flex top side of constant curve you have a wider range of brands you can switch to with you current masts!

www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Windsurfing/Review/can-anyone-tell-me-what-this-mast-is/

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fjdoug said..
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Windsurfing/Review/can-anyone-tell-me-what-this-mast-is/

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Waiting4wind said..
You never know, it could make a comeback as a new concept for 2013

A man ahead of his time.

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fjdoug said..
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Windsurfing/Review/can-anyone-tell-me-what-this-mast-is/

Thats the one! I think I still have it suspended in the shed to hang things over.

I can't see how this can work.

Most masts are quite similar in bend at the bottom, it is the tip where the variation in curve is. Swapping the bottom end around won't change the most important factor - the amount of tip flex.

Engineer people...?

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Mark _australia said..
I can't see how this can work.

Most masts are quite similar in bend at the bottom, it is the tip where the variation in curve is. Swapping the bottom end around won't change the most important factor - the amount of tip flex.

Engineer people...?

Well the overall stiffness is pretty consistent across all brands. If you make the top soft you have to make the bottom stiff to compensate so soft top masts are stiffer in the bottom and vice versa.

I am more thinking along the lines of the bend curve of the bottom half. I can't see how you can flip the bottom section without making a buggered up curve

I rigged my Hot sail 490 this way for the first year until one day I noticed a little decal that said bottom.

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Mark _australia said..
I am more thinking along the lines of the bend curve of the bottom half. I can't see how you can flip the bottom section without making a buggered up curve

It couldn't do a proper job of either curve or stiffness but it's probably good enough for wave sails and camless freeride sails.

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Beaglebuddy said..
I rigged my Hot sail 490 this way for the first year until one day I noticed a little decal that said bottom.

That's what I figured too. The bottom section on all the RDM's I have seen, looks very consistent from one end to the other. There would not be much flex difference in it from one end to the other??

But this mob have made it different in some way, such that reversing it changes the bend curve of the sail. I fail to see how it can make the tip flexier......
but wonder more about if the bottom half has say "bottom flex" then you reverse it suddenly you have a soggy midsection (like me) and it won't work????

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Mark _australia said..

That's what I figured too. The bottom section on all the RDM's I have seen, looks very consistent from one end to the other. There would not be much flex difference in it from one end to the other??

But this mob have made it different in some way, such that reversing it changes the bend curve of the sail. I fail to see how it can make the tip flexier......
but wonder more about if the bottom half has say "bottom flex" then you reverse it suddenly you have a soggy midsection (like me) and it won't work????

Just measure the bend curve of bottom piece, just like we do when measuring full-length. That will tell you whether it is a "true constant curve" or biased to one end. **

In reality any mast brand which has the spigot in the top piece, is able to swap rotate the bottom piece... the only limitation is the boom reinforcement section.

** Biased is probably the most likely scenario, so that the flex/taper works correctly.