Regarding tip weights...my Marstrom Mast (alu) came with a .5 lbs lead weight rivetted to the very top. Surprised me! How can the carbon mast be promoted as "safer" since it's lighter...yes, sure it's safer than a alu stick with even more weight stuck to the top! Wouldn't it just be easier to change the tip weight rule and get the lead off if safety was the concern? I guess the intent of the tip weight rule is to prevent extra light/thin sections which would lead to failures left right and center.

There would need to be a change to the tip weight rule for carbon, as there's much less advantage if building to alloy weights.

Another thing I found quite intriguing about all this...if accepted Marstrom will be the only allowable builder of carbon masts section for 2 years, to help them re-coup development losses. This seems quite a departure from the "any manufacturer" nature of the the class.

Mike.

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The proposed changes to the class rules on http://www.tornado.org does not say anything about the weight (as far as I could see). So we dont know much about the weight or tip-weight of the new mast.

I guess it will be lighter, as easier righting is used as an argument for the change (and the change would be meaningless if weight was maintaned, even tough the mast would become amazingly strong).

Bill: You are probably right about the re-cut. Unless the whole front panel of the sail was replaced (most Tornado mainsails has one panel running from the bottom to the top along the luff). The outcome would anyway be uncertain and probably not competitive.
If the mast is accepted in the ballot, it will be interresting to measure the performance between the two masts..

Regarding politics, yes this is a quite hotly contended subject. One has to wonder where all the messages on the German T-forum discussing this subject is. They all disappeared last month.. Politics ?


Interresting times!

Mike Dobbs
Tornado CAN 99 "Full Tilt"