Was watching this video of Wojtek Brzozowski. He mentioned that many sailors seem to experience more mast breaking with severne mach4 and up due to the extreme curve. Hense he sticks with his 7.8 mach 3. I have a mach2 so can't tell.
Any of you hearing this or experiencing it? Interested as i'm thinking of upgrading the quiver.
Cheers
Lard
I wouldn't say the luff curve on my m5 is any more than previous generations. Certainly no breakages to date. Nor have i heard of anyone else i know having random breakage on their m4s or 5s.
Undamaged masts can generally endure a lot more curve than anything they get to in a luff sleeve. Damage and heat are the biggest mast killers that i've seen
I just snapped a 490 in a mach 5 last weekend. I put it down to heat damage from the day before. I left the sail untensioned in the sun for a few hours, while waiting for a heat to be called (didn't have too many other choices). I think with the clear luff material you need to be more careful as the mast can heat up quite a bit.
The mast was not new so didn't have manufacturing defect. The only other breakage I have had was with a mach 3, also a 490.
For sure the RDMs are lot stronger but I have seen one of those break in mach 5, 6.2.
I think wotjek, just likes the feel of RDM, he is not a big Slalom sailor.
One thing he did mention which I agree with the older sails are designed for max performance on fin, the new race sails are too much foil orientated, switching between my old EVO V and EVO 12 the V has the power locked down lower and feels so much better, speed wise nothing in it.
One thing he did mention which I agree with the older sails are designed for max performance on fin, the new race sails are too much foil orientated, switching between my old EVO V and EVO 12 the V has the power locked down lower and feels so much better, speed wise nothing in it.
Theres actually plenty he said that i don't agree with. But i do agree with the sentiment that they shouldn't try to do cross over equipment. Compromise removes performance from what the equipment is meant to do.
having said that, i bought a 3sail quiver of the mach 5s and they all feel fast/stable and very comfortable sails straight out of the bag. I think im lighter again than Wotjek, so i probably experience less of the low end grunt issues with the shorter boom lengths, but the shorter boom lengths haven't taken any stability away from the sails, quite the opposite.
I think what he means, it that traditional sails have more backhand which with the right fin can give more more bottom end, and with big gusts they force the the nose down so the board doesn't fly away. So the sail itself is less stable but together with the board it is more stable if that's what you like. I think this is what wotjek likes and is referring to. Of course if you don't like that feeling, then you would consider the old style inferior.
Thanks for the replies and conversation. I have gone from mach to overdrive as i don not race and just free race. The 7.8 overdrive has same luf but shorter boom. I actually think it accelerates for me better then the mach. feels even more nimble and lighter in my hands. Do think the top end speed is probably lower. Also didn't see much about people commenting on breaking masts.