Lowers? Diamonds?

What do they do? How do they do it? 

Edited by Smight at BBSC

Lowers control mast bend in the bottom section of the mast near the gooseneck, (this obviously affects the top of the mast a bit too) and stops sideways bend too if they are pulled on tight. Diamonds control mast bend in the middle to top section by adjusting their tension, this means you can sail with good prebend which is not completely controlled by the shroud tension. The diamonds also support the mast sideways too, especially with the kite up. I think I have got this right, any corrections??

Edit: I seem to have been beaten to it, not too far wrong from what the Oracle has written.


Edited by tgruitt

Originally posted by Smight at BBSC What do they do? How do they do it?

Lowers and dimonds are put on trapeeze boats to stop the mast bending in the wrong places when someones on the wire. When one of our lowers snapped on our old 4k you could clearly see the differnce it was making.

Splosh

Gives more or less power by controlling stiffness and bend in different sections. To increase power pull on lowers to straighten mast, to give more bend and less power let off the lowers.

Jim go for it, I don't have enough experience of diamonds to comment...