if a 6.6 sail says it takes a 460 mast could u use a 430 mast insted

you will find a recommended mast length printed on most sails. LUFF is the entire length of the sail incl. extension, then there will be a recommended mast length. now adjust your extension to the difference between the two and away you go.

yea but the imcs is 24/26 and my mast is 25/21 would this matter

IMCS will matter if you super worried about performance. It will affect the way the sail twists of and powers up. but if all you want is a stick to throw a sail on then it won't matter too much.

im thinking about buying a north natural 6.6 it takes a 460 mast imcs 24/26 has a luff of 475 and boom 196,i have a 430 mast imcs 21/25 and a boom198 max,just wanted to know if this sail would work on my gear

It will work as long as you have a 45cm ext. Just remember with your boom at max extension you will lose the rigidity and it will become more susceptible to damage.
I've been contemplating a bigger sail too, but am in two minds as to what i should upgrade first. Mast 430 - 460 or boom 145/195 - 180/230?? If only money wan't an option

I'm with ya Stu. For ever i have used compromised, mis matched gear. But you know what? If ya can sail ok, who gives a ****? What ever you can put together to have a blast, go for it. We can't all be world beaters.

If your tall and skinny you might like it better with 430 better than the 460 anyway. Assuming the bend curve is combatible.

Being tall you need the boom higher in the first place so your more likely to find boom is connected to the mast in the area intended, and if your light you might like the softer master as it may suit your weight better.

so it doesn't matter to much about the imcs and if the boom is fully extended

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jezdog said...

so it doesn't matter to much about the imcs and if the boom is fully extended

Yes it does matter, it just that if your lighter you might actually like the softer mast, if it comes from the next smaller mast down in the series, and it has the same curve. Regarding the boom (assuming it alu) if your using it as your biggest in light winds you might tolerate a little bit of play in the boom and loss of strength. You might think again if you a big guy pushing hard in stronger winds, or it a size you want to use a lot.

Keep in mind the actual boom length required might actually be longer than what printed on the sail. Booms are usually bit cheaper than masts ...