Mast tip extension for Reflex sails

[costazzz]

Hi,
Does anybody have use mast tip extension for Reflex sails??I know that Severne prodused in the pass mast top extender but i have never read any comment about it! I have the 12m2 Reflex sail that have luff 5.82cm,so i use extension 32cm with red line 550cm 100%,but it makes the mast to stiff because the base is to long,and last week the extension get bended!
I build up a custom mast tip for the top of the mast 30cm and by this way i need only 2cm base extension and i think that the sail and the mast are going to work better in that case!
If somebody have experience on it,will be pleasure to share it...Next week that i am going to use it,i will post comments on how does it react,good or bud!Till then i wish to have posts on my thread from you guys with more experiences from me!!
Many thanks..

[BelSkorpio]

A base extender makes the combination mast + extender softer only because you can use a smaller mast.
For example with a luff of 522, you can use a 490 mast + 32 extension or a 520 mast with 2 extension.
Because a 490 mast is softer than a 520 mast, you obtain a softer combination with the 490 + 32 compared to the 520 + 2.

In your case with the 550 mast, you are already on the longest mast available on the market, so you can't make it harder anymore, only softer by means of a smaller mast and a larger extension.

Large extensions have serious impact on the bending curve. They will always make a mast more flextop.

A top extension will probably do what you want, i.e. making the mast softer compared to a base extension, but again it will also change the bend curve. Hard to tell in which way. It most certainly will result in a complete different sail setup. Perhaps a setup for which your sail was not designed.

Take also a look here: http://www.peterman.dk/windsurf-NP-X6-mast-study-extensions-780gb.htm

My take on this, stay with the recommended mast + extension for your sail.

[pfaffi]

Simple story:
Tip extension makes out of a constant curve a flextop mast so you get deeper profile in the boom section and more loose top section because you need less downhaul tension to get the correct loose top.
Some sails get profit out of it, some not. Eg. Code Red profit, Reflex not.
BR pfaffi

[joe_windsurfer]

OP costazzz

take a look at some of the pics that pfaffi posted in another post
beautiful 12 m REFLEX III
a sail like that is made to very precise specs - not sure i would play like that with a $1000+ sail
also, NEVER heard of an extension bending !!
should one use carbon mast extensions for these race sails ??

thx

[pfaffi]

Hi Joe!
No need for carbon extensions! But if you need only short extension dont use the long one. This disturbs the mast bending closed the lower end of the mast.
BR
pfaffi