Mast/Sail Quiver question
 

Hi Roger,

I have Sailworks Retro's in 9.0 and 7.5 that I get away with rigging on a 490 Joystick. I just ordered a 6.0 Retro and need to get a smaller mast. Since the Retro 6.0 can be rigged on 430 or 460 and my 7.5 can be rigged on 460 or 490, do you think there is any advantage in choosing a 430 or 460 mast for my quiver? Could you describe how the longer/stiffer mast impacts the sail performance and which sail you would reccomed running the longer/stiffer mast in?

PS- I am 190 pounds and sail mostly in light winds with bigger rigs up to 11.0.

Thanks in advance,
JohnK

Hi John,
The longer stiffer Joystick mast is the "best mast" for your 9.0 m2 Retro.
Putting the same 490 cm Joystick in your 7.5 m2 Retro means the mast is
a little too "stiff", so the top of the sail will not be as loose with the same
amount of downhaul tension.
For a 190 lb. this can be a good thing when you are underpowered to well
powered up as your sail has a little more draft up near the top, and will
not twist off quite so early in a gust.
The downside is that if you get really overpowered, the stiffer mast is going
to keep more power in the top of the sail longer, and the sail will not be as
"forgiving" in big gusts as it won't twist off at the top.
I would run the 6.0 on a 460 cm Joystick. That's really the mast the sail is
designed for, and you might find you like the 460 cm in your 7.5 when in
higher wind gusty conditions.
If you plan on getting a smaller Retro, then perhaps the 430 would make
more sense.
The shorter the mast and lower the IMCS # the softer the sail will be and
the sooner the top will loosen up in response to downhaul tension.
This translates to a sail that is more "forgiving" (and exactly what the designer
had in mind) when out on the water.
Using stiffer longer masts works pretty well on big sail (7.5 and larger) for
larger/heavier sailors.
It works less well as the sail size decreases and the wind speeds increase.
Hope this helps,
Roger

Thanks Roger... I'm getting a 460 as per your suggestion.