The Tasar v the Icon

Its basically a limiter for the mast rotation. The mast, very roughly speaking, is lined up with the angle of the mainsail luff, so rotates further than the boom. The pressure from the kicking strap tends to rotate the mast too far, so the metal loop engages with a fitting on the boom and stops the mast rotating further than the correct upwind setting.

When tacking the mast has to be pulled across - no practical way of automating it because it has to go through the centre against the kicker load. However with a similar rig I found it easiest to grab the handle and pull myself across the boat with it as I changed sides in the tack, killing two birds with one stone. Once I was used to doing that it really didn't add any complication to the tack. If you do miss it then provided legs are long enough then push it across with a foot post tack.

This might help. http://www.westcoastsailing.net/media/pdf/tasar/tasarmanual3_principlesofdesign.pdf

Edited by JimC - 18 Jul 14 at 10:59am

The Tasar mast can be over rotated so that it's leading edge ( it is a wing mast with the back cut off **) points at the optimum direction into the apparent wind.  

But it is a bit more clever than that.   The mast is quite flexible side ways and when rotated it tends to pull the top of the mast to windward.    At the same time the upper leach can be controlled to twist a bit a prevent hooking.  Bethwaite describes it like a bird that dips it's wing tips down.   This makes the main sail very, very  efficient.   

I've often wondered if this old aluminium, rotating, semi-wing mast is more efficient than a modern, thin, fixed,  carbon stick, as on the Icon.

For sure it is far more efficient than a fixed aluminium mast.  

I think the extrusion dies for the Tasar mast were very expensive.

Edit **  It is even more clever since the sharp cut off edge at the rear of the mast acts to induce turbulent flow over the sail which is more efficient for slow speed aerodynamics, like a sail, since the flow stays attached for much longer than with laminar flow.    Aircraft use trip turbulators to achieve the same thing when coming into land.  They trip the flow from laminar to turbulent.





Edited by boatshed - 18 Jul 14 at 11:42am

That mast does appear to give a very nice entry to the sail, but I didn't think the sail itself is very nice and she wasn't pointing anywhere near me and missed a few lifts. It's a bit old and shagged but then so is mine, I finally am convinced full batten rigs are not for dinghy sailing in confined water, the damn flow takes ages to become re attached after transitions.

Also, that pointy entry? We found with kites that too narrow and acute a leading edge attack angle don't give you much option, so stalling occurs more frequently and I imagine that Tasar sail will luff more than most in shifty weather, that sort of thing is fine in steady ocean breezes, but buggering about on shifty lakes? Then of course she kept getting the 'spanner' in the works

And did i detect a jib pole thing? She must have had something like that to reverse the jib the way she did?

Edited by iGRF - 18 Jul 14 at 11:48am

Jib pole is old style; not like a dangler or anything.

Originally posted by iGRF That I guess would be if the spanner thing was et up properly which I doubt she did

The Tasar came with a very comprehensive operation and maintenance manual.   It was about 50 pages of A4 and was also a sailing/racing manual.    Nothing glossy or frothy but just accurate technical stuff.   Unbelievable really.  

It's a real shame the Tasar didn't take of in the UK.  I guess we were stuck on racing Enterprises, Graduates and Nat 12s  etc.