Carbon or not Carbon

505s; lead to them being banned and they still are ... which seems a shame to put a tin rig ona ful lcarbon hull.

The vareo has the alloy bottom section with a fibreglass tip this is one boat that when it was tried went very well with a carbon mast and a new cut sail but most owners did not want it at the time some of those who complained the most no longer have vareos so perhaps its time to start thinking about it again.

I know one of the testing team said it went like a rocket downwind with the carbon rig and was alot quicker upwind

carbon  and  aluminium  with  a  few  rivets  equals  very  short life  time  if  not properly  protected.  I  had  this issue  with a   14  racks    where  the  aluminium around the rivets  dissolved. 

Carbon  masts  are  great  and  for  one design  rigs  there  is  probably less difference  in  bend characteristics  than alloy masts.   ie  laser  sailors  prefer  top sections  from  new zealand rather than the  uk  a  few  years ago due  to the  aluminium it had  sourced.

AS  for  costs  for  olympic one designs masts  well blame  the   class association. 

The  cost  of  shirley  roberston's Sydney rig  was  far more than her  wing rig for   Alanta  as  they  had to   change the bend  characteristics  by    sanding  or adding carbon  on the  inside of the mast due  to  the mast  having set  external , section.   the old   rules  meant you  could   do all  this on the  outer section   far easier  and  a lot less  stresfull.

Me

I  have  just  pulled  a Carbon  based  rig (wood) out  for  a 40  year  old  mirror as my 3 year old  wants to go sailing!!