For some f*c*ed up reason Neil Pryde decided to change the 5.8 Atlas to only rig on a 430 mast. Last years 5.8 rigged on a 400 and that hugely increased the range particularly for heavier riders.
As soon as I can get hold of a demo I'll try to rig it on a 400 mast... just to see if that still works.
Just a quick follow up. Neil Pryde windsurf sail designer Pieter Bijl has sent me a message regarding the design decission around mast length.
Apparently they tests both the 430 and 400 masts in the 2011 5.8 Atlas and found they worked equally well. In the 2012 model they did similar tests and found that the 430 performed better than the 400 to the point where they didn't want to list it as a recommended mast. However, Pieter says the 400 mast will still work used in the 2012 Atlas 5.8.
Nice customer service on Neil Prydes part. In what industry does the product designer take the time to answer questions regarding their products.
Nah, what I meant was other consumer product industries. Imagine sending an email to Holden or Ford asking why they made certain design decision and then getting an answer from the head car designer.
I design Holdens, happy to give you an answer, just don't expect it to be the right one
