I understand why you want to make the masts all equal in weight.
That is not correct; we allow (some) differences in overall mast weight while focussing on equalizing "swinging" behaviour.
What I don't yet understand is why the equalizing weight has to be put at the TOP of the mast. Why can't you have a strip of something that goes all the way up the mast or why can't you just use a halyard lined with lead (for those that use a halyard)? Well, you know what I mean -- distribute the weight
That is because this allows the most equalizing in "swinging" behaviour for the smallest amount of added weight. We are trying to avoid making the mast needlessly heavy. Note however, that 95 % of the sailors will not have to add anything to their masts !
So reasons against distributing weight ;
-1- Adds more weight to the mast than needed to equalize things.
-2- too diffult to implement (source strip were ? Were fit the strip ?)
-3- too easy to remove right before the race (leaded halyard)
-4- Will interfere with the bending behaviour (strip on inside mast ?) and thus impact on alot more than the "swinging" behaviour
-5- For some engineering reason the mast designer DIDN'T distribute the weight over the mast. Why go against that ?
Actually putting the weight at the top is the working core of the rule, not a side effect or something we can alter without losing the intended effects.
Also it is very easy to either put corrector weights on, in or next to the end cap of the mast at the top. Won't interfere with flow over the sails and as said before it minimizes the required weight of the correctorweights thus keeping the overall mast weight as low a possible while forcing equality. It is also easier to keep masts watertight that way.
We must all note that we are talking about a TIP weight measurement NOT a measurement of overall mast weight.
Wouter
