rotating masts

The mast doesn't bend equally in every direction, so the orientation of the spar has a big effect.

Typically an overrotating mast will bend more sideways than fore and aft, which means that when the mast is over rotated leech tension will move the mast tip to windward, and consequently the mid mast to leeward. This massively reduces twist. The sideways bend of the mast will also 'use up' luff round and tend to flatten the sail

If the mast is rotated neutrally relative to the leech tension then it will be much stiffer and bend less, so the sail will be fuller, but also more twisted.

If the mast is underrotated then the top mast will bend to leeward and the whole rig will twist off.

So the amount of rotation has a huge effect on how mast bend and the leech behaves, but unfortunately its not a linear effect, which I suspect is one of the reasons why they are so tweaky. Another factor is that the amount of mast rotation for optimum mast bend characteristics in any given wind condition is almost certainly not the same as the optimum position for mast aerodynamics.

Edited by JimC - 04 May 15 at 12:56pm

Organically grown..like on a hydroponic table utilising fungi myceliium as a carbon