hey, does anyone know the correct regulation length of the Windsurfer one design mast? I have two, both differing lengths, just want to be sure the longer one is actually a one design mast as it leaves the foot of the sail pretty high up and me using the lower part of boom cutout. I have a brand new one design sail which I'm assuming is 5.7 metres? That's my other confusion, I've heard over the years 5.7 m and 6m. So which is it? Is the old Wally Dacron 6m and new one design 5.7 or vice versa?
used my boom set at 2.2m yesterday and pretty well spot on
cheers, Al
The current dark green / black masts are 4.5m long, +/- maybe a 10 - 15mm discrepancy. The old blue masts from the original windsurfer were around 300mm shorter. Only the old dacron & later mylar sails fitted that mast. With that earlier mast & sail came a longer boom to suit. From 1985 - 1986 the Windsurfer One Design replaced the original for all racing formats. A longer mast & shorter boom was needed for the new sail at that time. Whilst there were subtle differences in the sails manufactured over the past 32 years, they were essentially the same in area terms.
A sails area can be determined by several means, so there is never only one answer. Calculating one way has it at 5.72m2, another has it at 5.85m2. I can't see it ever being 6.0m2.
On an interesting note is that the very old original sail measures up near exactly the same as the current one. Maybe hard to believe but true.
Thanks For that advice. One of my green masts is 4.78m and the other 4.48? ( both a translucent green) I remember having a new one design in 85 with the same Colour mast. Yes I've got a few of the old smaller diameter blue original masts and sails as well. Were the earlier Mylar sails on a longer mast perhaps? Looks like I'm getting out the hacksaw but don't want to end up with a non race legal mast.
The earlier mylar sails were exactly the same size as the dacron ones and were used on the blue mast. They only were around for about 18 months before the new One Design board & rig took over.
Regarding the masts you have I'm a little suspicious them being translucent in colour. The vast majority I've seen over many, many years have
been a solid (opaque) colour. They were / are made in NZ by Kilwell & generally had a black & white sticker with specs on the base of the mast.
There has been the odd exception, with one particular 'pink' mast being cited as the 'greatest thing going' for course racing. That was back in the late 80's, early 90's. I did a load test on the two at that time and found the 'pink' one was 11% stiiffer overall. Whether it was really a sanctioned WOD mast or just some cut down fibreglass 'surf' mast I'm unsure. It had quite a few different sailors race with over that time, some successful, some not.
If going to Gosford this weekend see if Pete & John can help you compare the current class legal mast to your ones, before altering yours.
Just guessing, but that 4.78m long mast doesn't seem like a proper WOD mast. Put your 4.48m one side by side with a known one and do a simple hand pressure test, or rig both up on the same sail and check its shape using the same out / down tensions.
Cheers,
Rob Howard
Thanks for advice Rob. Will go have a closer look at all my masts. Maybe my memory is playing tricks on me but I got a new one design with the new type Mylar sails when they first came out. Went to the factory to pick up and choose boards. It had a green mast that you can see through when in sunlight and see through the fibreglass and see dark spot that is the stopper about 400mm from bottom.
yes no doubt one of the guys will have the right stuff for comparison - thanks
hi Al, I just had a look at your photos at the other thread ; that mast could be a Rotho ?
Select to expand quotefjdoug said..
hi Al, I just had a look at your photos at the other thread ; that mast could be a Rotho ?
Don't know, but found a black mast that I think may have come with my old one design sail that I got with a Windsurfer fun. It is spot on 4.5m so I will rig it up tomorrow and see how it looks.
never heard of a Rotho mast. I've got two green ones the same, different lengths but with no markings.
