Are they that fragile? Reading the SA article on the DIYC regatta, lots of masts broke during capsizes (one of my specialties).

Do they have a fast "beginner mast" that won't break the minute I do something stupid (which is about every other minute)?

Or do you have to be that good just to even get out to the start line?

They're fragile. If you capsize with the downhaul on, there's a good chance the rig will break.

Think of it this way, stand on a soda can, and then place pressure on the side. As soon as there is outside pressure in conjunction with the compression - crunch!!!

Good news, is that they are relatively easy to fix.

A Class masts are more fragile than say a Tornado mat but, they are still pretty strong.

Breaking an A Class mast normally has to do with the violence of a flip or pitch pole. The wind has to be too high or you have to do something to make the capsize extra violent.

Where you can get in trouble, is conditions you should not be out in in the first place. For example, turning downwind in 25+ and pitch poling(New Orleans a few years ago), you will likely break a mast. With 15-20 kt wind, you would have to do something stupid in addition to break a mast. Like jumping forward to to grab something. I have flipped and pitch poled many times in 10-12 by doing something extra stupid, with no breakage.

I second that - downhaul is what does it in if you pitchpole. You are really taking risks if you have downhaul on going downwind in sporty conditions. I don't know how the guys are sailing with these new mast/sail combos (and trapezing), but I usually don't have downhaul on when sailing downwind. My carbon mast (no repairs) turns 12 years old this year!

The three masts that broke had some extra help in breaking.

One boat flipped over and hit the beach
One boat flipped and got it's mast stuck in the bottom,
One boat it is suspected that the spreader bracket came loose from the mast.

Each of those situations could have resulted in a broken mast on a H16, N20, etc.

Shouldn't be out in over 25 knots? Really?

H16 masts rarely break from hitting the bottom. It's possible (and likely) to damage the comptip (usually just the track), but the mast itself can withstand a ridiculous amount of abuse.

Obviously, they're not as fast as an A-Cat, but you can survive (and some can race well) in winds over 20-25 knots.

Mike

I had a violent double bow pitchpole on Biscayne Bay downwind near shore at the leeward mark in about ten feet of water on my F16.
The following weekend when I took the straight aluminum mast down for taillering I found compacted sand in the mast going for about a foot (30cm).
(mast has foam cap seal)

You can strike the N-20 from that list I've done all of those and the mast has survived so far.Of course there are telephone poles that are lighter than a Carbon N-20 mast.

@ Brucat, and sail7seas, Apples and oranges both of those boats have aluminum masts.

Yeah no kidding. It has to be the heaviest per foot carbon mast on the planet. On the upside it is very stupid friendly.

I'll put in a plug for the Bim 18HT mast. very strong and flexible.

You guys should get Jody to tell his story from Charlotte Harbor. Definitely apropos.

AND one of the more expensive.

"@ Brucat, and sail7seas, Apples and oranges both of those boats have aluminum masts."

I was responding to Krantz' mention of H16.

Of course, it doesn't really matter during a regatta. If you tweak the comptip, it's usually not sailable. Repairing it may cost less than replacing the whole mast, but your regatta is over, which really sucks if it's a week-long major event.

My other point was in regard to the notion that we shouldn't be sailing in over 25 knots of wind. That's just silly (granted, my wife and I won't go out in that anymore, but that doesn't mean no one should).

Mike

Quick, someone find the pic of my mast in the bridge!

I want to see pics, Tad!

On the wind speed, the class has a limit of 22 knots sustained and that is because the boats are so responsive in lighter conditions. Sailing an A cat vs a Hobie 16 is a very different experience.

I did an A-Cat mast repair what a job! It broke where there was difference in the wall thickness around the spreaders. The step-down in thickness was a sudden drop not a tapper making a hard spot in the mast. To fix it I had to make two sleeves one to even out the inside walls then a sleeve to fix the break.

http://www.themanshed.net/archived-projects/acat-mast/?g2_itemId=1750

I may hold the A-cat carbon mast record for breakage as a carbon mast newbie-- and successful repair. 1. At 3 mph, I let the boat head up & hit a concrete bridge just above the mast base (2001): Inattention. 2. Violent Pitchpole at Lake Ponchartrain in A-cat NAs, same as #1 mast survived the crash but then the boat and boom jibed, sail did not: twisted the mast (2003). 3. Violent downwind pitchpole in nasty thunderstorm after mainsheet was ripped out of my hand in 3rd blast : mast broke instantly (2005). All 3 masts were repaired successfully and never broke there again: All 3 still in use, and 4 more that I repaired successfully. None busted by me since 2005. Fingers remain crossed.

Thanks for your input. I did not know that!

I will add this to my criteria for next boat/mast

Someone around here has the pic of when Kirk hit the bridge :P