The past months, Ceilidh has been developing a new mast for the Merlin Rocket class. This class has an ‘open’ rule for various parts, so that new designs have the room to develop without tight restrictions.
The prototype mast is designed and manufactured in a similar fashion to all our dinghy masts, with an integrated sail track and aerodynamic ‘teardrop’ profile. This enables us to have more control over the fore-aft bending of the mast without influencing the sideways bend.
Working closely with sailors in the class it was clear that the best masts were made from High Modulus carbon with an outer diameter tube of 45mm and a bare weight of 4,6 to 4,8kg.
By using the teardrop section it is possible to increase the lateral stiffness due to surface area while reducing the outer diameter of the mast, thus making the mast more streamlined with less windage. The section has a width of 40mm, 10% smaller than all other masts, while still coming in a a meagre 4,52kg bare weight – Lighter and thinner!
The stiffness is in the same ballpark as other designs but there is still room for increasing the stiffness if required. First the mast will be tested to see if our concept generates the expected performance.
The sections will be most suited to a range of classes and a profile has also been commissioned to use as a gaff spar on a classic racer.
The initial batch of masts will retail at €3200,00 including VAT ex. works in The Netherlands. Shipment to the UK is about €150,00 €240,00 (post Brexit) including VAT and customs handling. For further information please contact our offices or get in touch with Andy Davis at HD Sails who has assisted us with the details and specs of the mast.
