Is there some sort of Website for the Superwing masts?
CARY

Superwing = the alu mast on all Taipans and Blades ; there are only a handfull exceptions and they are all in Aus.

So Mary, The taipan of Rick (and you ?) has a superwing alu mast.

It is different from standard masts in the crosssection shape of the mast. It is more elliptical and looks alot more like a NACA aerowing shape than standard mast. It is a similar crossection as your daggerboards and rudders but then scaled up in width.

Standard masts are rather closely approximated but a circular front part and a triangular rear part fused and faired together.

The wind mast is :

-1- aerodynamically more efficient

-2- allows a superior rig design that has a working core the bending of the mast.

-3- because bending is intentional and part of the design the masts can be lighter.

Wingmasts are more flexible than standard masts but this allows a differt sail design. This rig can be made really flat with minimal draft and so be very low drag at high windspeeds. At low windspeeds they can easily induce fullness and draft by letting the mast spring back and rotating the wing. This allows a very large range of adjustment, all at minimal drag. The flexing of the top makes for great depowering and gust responses.

That is what Matt refered to when he wrote in a post that he couldn't believe how much in control he felt in the high winds.

As a sailor you must recognise the differences in the way of handling and trimming but then a new experience in around the corner.

The lightweight boats like the F16's react very positively to such a rig design. It may be less so with much heavier boats like the F18's and Tornado's but they'll just have to try to know for sure. Capricorn F18 did it and is rumoured to be an upwind devil. But it is difficult to seperate that from the hulls design.

Now there is a whole lot more to say about these masts but that is for engineers and people who have a few months to understand all that there is about it.

Other makes using wingmasts : A-cats !


Wouter

Cary,

Here's a link to the Taipan 4.9 manufacture's website. If you choose "Owners Manual" from the left menu, it will take you to a list of articles. Two will be of interest....one on Wingmast Aerodynamics and one re: Sailing with a Wingmast.

http://www.ahpc.com.au/

Jeff.

PS...sorry about not just providing direct links, but the site doesn't print individual URLs as you navigate.