mast foot placement

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Mouser73
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Joined: Thu Jun 02, 2011 16:55
Location: Minehead

mast foot placement

Post by Mouser73 »

I've been doing some reading about board set-up lately and it struck me that board design has changed significantly over the last twenty five years.
Below is a 260 wave board I was sailing age 16 (damn that's 22 years ago and it wasn't new then).
Anyway, whilst I was digging in the parents garage I also found another board, this time an AHD Exocet, also a 260.
As you can see the AHD had a pretty standard mast foot layout; about 135cm to the middle of the box. The New Waves on the other hand measures 175 to the middle.
Both boards sail pretty well, but how can they be designed so differently but still do the job? Even weirder, the New Waves sails better with the mast foot further forward?!


Cheers,


James.
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MartinF
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Post by MartinF »

I believe it's a lot to do with the plan shape of the boards and the design of sails.

Back in the days of yore, I think I remember that sails "pulled" sideways a lot more than more modern sails - which have more forward "pull". So old boards were consequently designed with very narrow tails and most of the volume up around the mast foot - as indeed it still is. So I guess the whole reason for the forward volume/forward mast track is because of the contemporary sail design.

Although you say the old board sails well with a modern sail, I suspect it'll be less comfortable than on a modern board, and will probably have a tendency to cause nose dive. But - if it works, great. No reason not to use that combo just because the mags say (used to say - I don't buy them any more) you shouldn't.
It's an ill wind that never blows at all.
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