Carbon or not Carbon

Right then....
The benefits of a carbon mast!
Why carbon?
Specifically what are the performance benefits?
Why did the Halo not choose a carbon mast?
Why do phantoms now want a carbon mast?
What would the RS400 gain from a carbon mast?
What is it about carbon?
Builders clearly have big choice to make.
Answers on a postcard.
I would have setup a poll but apparently its a waste of clicks!
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Really interesting reply Jimc thanks
I agree about the bend characteristics
And that's one hell of a 400 rig suggestion.
Could it be possible to make it less of a hike upwind?

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I think the recovery from a loading flex for carbon is quicker making them more gust responsive.

Also a major benefit is that can be glued back together when they get snapped.

Finally the most important factor they look cool...

Originally posted by timg Could it be possible to make it less of a hike upwind?

Well consider this gross over simplification: follow one upwind directly from behind and fully powered up. I bet you'll be able to spot a triangle of sail from the foot to say about 3/4 the way up the leech which is at best parallel to the centre line. Surely that can only be contributing heeling moment. Cut it off and you'll get less heel for the same forward power. As soon as you're cracked off that sail is contributing of course, but the same area will contribute more in the kite.

There are an awful lot of tradeoffs to consider of course, for instance the smaller main/bigger kite boat will tend to suit a slightly lighter crew, although in the case of the 400 weight must help getting that bow through waves - at least that's my theory why lightweights seem to do better inland than at sea.

Halo went non-carbon in the end after a long development assessment with both alloy and carbon for a number of reasons.  The prime one being it is what the 'heavies' who were the target of the project suggested and supported it.  My own preference was in fact for carbon but then I'm not typical of the target customer being a 'mere' 83kg.  In fact we devoted more time, money and effort into carbon mast development and assessment than we did into alloy ones. Critically Halo is aimed at those a 'tad' heavier than average.

The key argument that they pushed was that the alloy selection was not only much more cost effective but it made it less of an advantage being towards the bottom of the target weight range.  Many of their alternative classes were and are experiencing a down-shift in ideal helm weight as a result of the introduction of 'better' carbon masts that do allow lower weight helms to cope in nearly all conditions - it pays to be heavy less and less often.

11.6m and an alloy mast meant that Halo is more traditional in this respect.  The purpose of the development was not to produce the fastest possible Halo for average weight helms - but a fast boat that encouraged larger helms and played to their strengths.  However the boat is 2.5m wide and they have a more weight and the result is a lot of leverage - so it goes rather well to say the least.   

We are not 'anti' carbon and if the paying customers want a carbon mast they would get one.  They did still want to use the same carbon boom as the Blaze as standard and so on and our other projects will use carbon spars as well.  So Halo as a moderately fast single sail SMOD is more tightly controlled than some, arguably very suited to the larger helm - a group hardly addressed in recent years possibly - and is significantly less expensive as a result of opting for 'old fashioned'  alloy.  Absolute speed is not everything .... But Halo is still fast enough and faster than most alternatives regardless of the spar material employed.   

Don't write off alloy too quickly just yet.... or centreboards .... or wings over trapeze or even (modern) single sail classes for that matter.  Judge Halo and just everything else after you have tried and perhaps raced against the alternatives across a range of conditions. Halo has surprised a great many already and will increasingly be seen to do so as numbers rise.  Just ask and you can find out for yourself.

Mike L.

PS - Last thought - Carbon masts should be finished in white inho. Just as fast, run 'cool', less maintenance etc ....  or is it mainly a UK obsession to lacquer them ?