Can someone please explain to me how a mistral equipe mast track works.
I know what they do and why, but don't know how they operate.
I'm thinking about buying one but the track is not working, just wanting have another look at it and try to see why, and what I may be able to do to repair it.
Thanks.

Is then 1988 Mistral Equipe mast track which looks like this ?

Yes it's the same as that, only the rope is hanging out the front.
I think the pedal may have been a bit different?

I'm no expert but I think there is a spring-loaded "cleat" of sorts that jams off a loop of rope. The rope runs from the back of the track to the front of the track and is secured to the slide. When you push the pedal down, the "cleat" (inverted commas 'cause I don't know whether it's like a cleat or like a yacht's jammer) releases the rope, allowing the slide to move.

I've never had to get into mine because they always work. I understand that the problems occur when the rope is worn to the point where the "cleat" won't hold it, and that replacing the rope to fix the issue is fiddly and can be annoying, but is definitely possible.

Chris 249 summed it up pretty well.

those are pics of a Mistral Equipe / MEQ 1/One
here is a pic of a MEQ II/2 track
NOT sure how the ropes work in the guts
on this version you flip up the tab and press down to slide on track
ALSO accepts standard mast base !!!
GOOD LUCK !!

Select to expand quote

joe windsurf said..
those are pics of a Mistral Equipe / MEQ 1/One
here is a pic of a MEQ II/2 track
NOT sure how the ropes work in the guts
on this version you flip up the tab and press down to slide on track
ALSO accepts standard mast base !!!
GOOD LUCK !!

Yeah, looks more like this one.
So flip up the tab at the back of the track and press down on "what" to slide the mast base?

Flip the small black tab at the tail end of the mast track, up and over, so that it points toward the nose of the board. When you depress the black tab, it releases the friction on the rope and allows the mast base carriage to slide backwards and forwards

and the rope "hanging out the front" is independent of the mast track
believe it is a "safety rope" used to attach to mast foot so as NOT to lose the sail no matter what ..

Thanks guys, I'll know for the future, the board I was going to buy tomorrow, got sold today to someone who made a higher offer.
Even though I had been to see it yesterday and made arrangements to go and get it tomorrow at an agreed price.

Select to expand quote

KennyK said..
Thanks guys, I'll know for the future, the board I was going to buy tomorrow, got sold today to someone who made a higher offer.
Even though I had been to see it yesterday and made arrangements to go and get it tomorrow at an agreed price.

That seems to happen a lot.

And not answering messages about item for sale then the item disappears off the for sale list a month later.

Keep looking.

you missed a good one

joewindsurfer.blogspot.com/2016/04/mistral-equipe-ii2.html

James does a better job sailing it than I