Rustler yacht design explained an interview with Stephen Jones, How to choose a boat yacht measurements explained. The weight is saved along its length, but as the rig gets taller the weight saved has a greater effect on the boats stability. Thank you for subscribing to our Carbonics Newsletter! Bristol, RI 02809 | info@gmtcomposites.com. It would be nice to show off that carbon fiber appearance, but clear coated carbon doesnt offer the same low-maintenance resilience with regard to its appearance. This post gets to the real meat: How much did carbon fibre cost? We respect your privacy and do not share your information. Their beautiful finish, compared to aluminum, is easier to care for, doesnt corrode, and is exceptionally long-lasting. one con I have heard of is that the UV coating needs to be redone every couple of years. There are different approaches for developing masts for racers, cruisers, and passagemakers. There are more options than ever when it comes to picking out a foil and a great place to start narrowing it down is the choice between aluminum and carbon. One important aspect is their carbon fiber mast. Carbon fiber masts can be engineered, through different fabric weaves, orientations and thicknesses, to behave differently at different sections of the mast. An additional benefit of the reduced weight includes an increase in your Tartans range of positive stability. It feels very solid. Its not unusual to hit the seafloor with the foil when returning to the beach, so if youre riding somewhere with a rocky floor then an aluminum foil will be much safer. There are 2 reasons why it is important to have a mast that is as stiff as possible. We have built masts from 30 to 140 feet (10 to over 40 meters) in length. Carbon fibre is inherently lighter and stiffer than aluminium, but the ways in which carbon masts are made allow a lot more weight to be saved. This gives the yacht controllable power. Given a light 30' racer/cruiser, modern rig, swept back spreaders, what are the performance differences? While GMT offers the finest and most up-to-date standing and running rigging, hardware and sail management systems, we also understand that not everyone has a grand prix racers budget. Its clear from the experience of Rustler owners that they offer real benefits for cruising boats too. GMT has engineered, detailed and built masts for an unlimited range of vessels and types of sailing. Carbon foils are more expensive, lighter, stiffer, and more fragile.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[580,400],'windfoilzone_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_1',110,'0','0'])};if(typeof __ez_fad_cmd != 'undefined'){__ez_fad_cmd.push('div-gpt-ad-windfoilzone_com-medrectangle-3-0');}else{ __ez_fad_cmd = ['div-gpt-ad-windfoilzone_com-medrectangle-3-0'];}; One year ago, I would have answered the question by simply saying that it depends on your budget as generally speaking carbon foils are more expensive than aluminium foils. But linear polyurethane paint also comes in an almost limitless range of colors, so we can match your hull, your deck or even a color swatch you provide us. The laminate thicknesses, the orientation of the fibres, where patching is required [for spreaders and cutter rig attachments], if theres any UV coating or extra material laid on, it would all be done individually for that boat.. After a considerable amount of research using 3rd party data, the differences are insignificant, in fact, there are a number of advantages to not using an autoclave, but the bottom line is that it comes down to the builder and the materials used. A fully engineered, optimized, carbon fiber mast can truly outperform the competitionand that is why Tartan does. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Part of the appeal of a Tartan yacht is its ability to last through numerous owners and generations (if anyone is willing to give theirs up that is!). 2002-2022 Attainable Adventure Cruising Ltd and the authors, all rights are reserved. Put simply, the more stable a yacht is, the less she will heel, pitch and roll. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Other than the humor of my post there is a serious side. My boom is 17 feet 6 inches and weighs 50 pounds. Click Here to view or download our Carbon Fiber Mast Maintenance Guide, Click Here to view or download our Carbon Fiber Mast/Rig Tuning Guide. The ultimate board protector that doesn't get in the way. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. So if you have a limited budget, an aluminium foil would be the best solution, but if you can afford it, choose a carbon foil. Bottom line, GMT spars last! Sign up to receive our bi-annual Carbonics Newsletter. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); One of the most frequently asked questions we get here is which foil should I buy, carbon or aluminum? As mentioned above, on average a carbon fibre mast will weigh 25% less than an aluminium mast. The stability calculations for the 57s RCD (Recreational Craft Directive) certification were done with the assumption that shed have an aluminium mast, but the carbon mast improves her stability without a doubt. Pitching inertial depends on where the boat is sailed. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. All of that extra motion in an aluminum mast is using up the available power. If you have questions about the construction of our carbon fiber sailboat masts, please contact a Tartan specialist today. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. How are you planning on riding your foil? Aluminium is cheaper than carbon, thats a fact. GMT has worked with world renowned builders and designers such as Nautors, Hinckley, Morelli and Melvin, Lyman-Morse, Hylas, and Brooklin Boatyard, to name a few, and we welcome all projects big and small. In the case of the Rustler 42, it turns her from an eight-knot boat into a nine-knot boat. It then feels a bit like a bit of turbulence. Carbon is very stiff, but gets easily damaged by small impacts on the rocks. This allows you see the distinctive color and weave pattern of the carbon twill: its a high-tech look that remains distinctive and popular. They do need occasional maintenance, however. The mast rotates (so rotates around its own length axis) due to the pressure that is applied to the wind foil, so that the fuselage no longer goes straight through the water. Think of the power available from the wind as a finite amount. These are the wind foils that are offered on marketplace for next ot nothing with the description that it is a fun foil to learn it. So the stiffer the mast, the better the performance of the wind foil and perhaps even more importantly all the more stable (and therefore more fun and easier) it is to (learn) wind foil. He rang me halfway through the trip and said Im sold on it!. You could also consider buying a foil from smaller brands, which dont have the same cost structure as the big brands. Third, the added stiffness of carbon fiber masts ensures the mast does not bend, twist or vibrate as much. This lower center of gravity results in a smoother ride, especially through rough seas or choppy waves, and allows the yacht to carry more sail area. Bending the mast is limited and the carbon mast does not show noticeable. It isnt every day that you find something that increases performance while lowering maintenance, but thats just what a carbon fiber mast does for your Tartan yacht. Carbon is not affected by a saltwater environment the way aluminum is, and the polyurethane finish is more durable than paint on aluminum, and can easily be touched up if scratched or worn by abrasion. In particular, painted carbon fiber requires minimal maintenance. We design a mast for each application and its optimised by our design team, Norbury says. The mast is narrower and less thick than the aluminum mast from Starboard. GMT was a pioneer in the development of the faux bois finish. As mentioned above, our experience is that it is more difficult and less fun to learn the wind foiling! The mast seems to set. See our full report here. The mast bends during wind foiling, because you put pressure on 1 side or simply by moving your feet / weight on your board. This then comes at the expense of the speed and affects the functioning of the profile of the wings (the flow angle of the water is also no longer at odds with the wings). And what did we get for that money? This doesnt seem like much, but this pushes your board up just a little earlier than at the alu mast (the fuselage always goes 100% straight through the water). OK, some numbers. What are the differences? What boats carry GMT masts? If so, then mine must be much lighter, although there is an awful lot of paint on it after 60 years. Where are you going to foil? So, how does this all add up to increased performance and speed? All of that bending and twisting of an aluminum mast adds up to a lot of fatigue over the years. At far lighter weight, carbon is actually stronger than aluminum. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Further, the mast itself is engineered to exceed physical requirements. Building out of carbon, which is stiffer than aluminum, is an effective way to stretch the life of the mast, offering increased longevity. More questions? The first element that will be noticeable is the heeling moment as the aluminum rig is much heavier than the carbon which also creates heavier pitch fore and aft on choppy water . So nice comparison whether its worth that extra 900. If a carbon mast is clear coated, it must be repainted every eight to ten years to protect it from UV. While foiling with the carbon mast, we feel that the mast bends when you put a lot of pressure. This is especially helpful with regards to the severity of the sun and salt, making carbon an obvious choice for the marine environment. How does a Tartan sailboat outperform the competition? The final speed of an aluminium mast is therefore lower than that of the carbon mast. It is always nice when you get to see benefits of a project you were not even expecting. Carbon fiber masts are estimated to last, and retain their strength, twice as long as an aluminum mast. The aluminium masts are wider and also thicker than the carbon masts. Sometimes the idea of a carbon mast brings to mind the image of a failed racing experiment that was built with little to no factor of safety. The difference in price is about 900, is quite substantial. Will a GMT carbon mast last? That owner sailed his boat to Seattle. Nothing on this website or in direct communications received from us, or in our articles in the media, should be construed to mean or imply that offshore voyaging is anything other than potentially hazardous. GMTs first two carbon spars made in 1990 are still sailing today. It was a bit of a search, but we found out that the carbon mast is tilted back a tiny bit in the deep tuttle base. The mast manufacturer therefore has to specify the whole mast for the highest load case, even though that force usually acts on just one part of the mast. And our masts can be delivered with all the attendant standing rigging, whether you specify wire, rod, PBO or carbon. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Aluminum foils are generally speaking not as fast as carbon foils, but they are often easier to learn on and offer great stability thanks to their weight. This bending gives you an unstable and nervous feeling, which does not promote controlled wind foiling. It requires a little more of your own wind foil technology than with the carbon mast. Because the carbon fibermast extends aloft, far away from the center of gravity of a Tartanyacht, a lightweight mast noticeably lowers the center of gravity of the entire sailboat. We experience this as fine, it gives you feedback on what is happening and you can also use this bending with little wind to push with your feet a little, which keeps you up longer. Our masts are built with laminates engineered to reduce weight while increasing the factor of safety and ability to handle loading above anticipated conditions. However, the difference in losing around 25% of the weight of the mast doesnt make much odds on a medium to heavy displacement boat like our ocean cruising yachts. If you want to be more/better/faster, you can of course always upgrade the windfoil you have by purchasing a loose Starboard carbon mast. However, we are now seeing some hybrids, with aluminium masts and fuselage combined with carbon wings (for example: Starboard, Alpinefoil, Horue, Mantafoils) which try to give the best of all worlds. For example, if you wish to foil quietly back and forth when the conditions are too light to windsurf, you dont need to buy the latest race carbon foil to have a good time. Not only does a carbon fiber mast weigh around half the weight of a traditional aluminum mast, but the location of this weight savings has amplified impact. Is a carbon mast hard to maintain? By contrast, carbon mast construction methods (like the filament winding process used by Seldn who make the masts for most Rustlers and many other sailing yachts) allow the thickness and stiffness of a mast section to be varied and tailored for different loads along its length. By signing up you agree to ourPrivacy Policy, Rustler Yachts LimitedMaritime BuildingsFalmouth RoadFalmouthCornwall TR10 8AD. Theyre designed to carry that weight, and over many years and ocean crossings theyve earned an enviable reputation for having a remarkably steady, comfortable motion in rough seas. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Why? Check out Facebook groups, local shops, or other second-hand market places and you may find a good second-hand carbon foil near you at the price of a new aluminum foil. Carbon saves a lot of weight aloft, so it reduces heeling and pitching, making boats faster, more close-winded, and noticeably more comfortable. Sometimes the difference is enormous. Working with GMT Composites means working with a specialist who will custom design a solution specific to your needs and requirements. Carbon fiber masts are stiffer than aluminum masts. We started by putting a carbon mast on a Rustler 44, Rustler director Adrian Jones explains. This is why all Tartan carbon fiber mastsare painted. The simple answer is cost. But density is 60% approx so you will save about 40% of the weight of the extrusion. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Is a carbon mast built in an autoclave superior? This philosophy extends to the carbon fiber mast as well. Less heel means you can keep more sail area up for longer, so more power and less reefing. All other elements being equal, a boat carrying an aluminum rig will be in some disadvantages when compared with a sistership using a carbon rig. Due to the less twisting and more aerodynamic profile of the carbon mast, the carbon mast is therefore faster. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Our masts have sailed in every ocean, including many successful passages around the globe. The difference was that obvious., The next yacht to have a carbon rig was a Rustler 37. Ill get you to the right answer for you by the end of the article! Less torque and better aerodynamics make it faster, More feeling what is happening under the board. GMT rigs are fully customizable, allowing less exotic fittings and details that still deliver the benefits of a carbon mast but at less cost. What does make a difference, though, is where that weight is saved. It used to be an exotic material, but it can now be found in many things from pens to pushbikes. The price gap between aluminium foils and carbon foils is being reduced thanks to these competing brands with high value for money.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'windfoilzone_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_4',111,'0','0'])};if(typeof __ez_fad_cmd != 'undefined'){__ez_fad_cmd.push('div-gpt-ad-windfoilzone_com-medrectangle-4-0');}else{ __ez_fad_cmd = ['div-gpt-ad-windfoilzone_com-medrectangle-4-0'];}; Last thing to consider when it comes to the price of the foils: Windfoils have been sold on the market since 2017, and the second-hand market is now growing. In addition to the above mentioned differences in speed, feel and aerodynamics, the carbon mast gives more lift. Contact us if you have any questions, were happy to help you out of the foil jungle and give you some advice before choosing the right foil for you! High performance racing aluminum mast vs. a high performance Carbon racing mast on the same boat. A mast has to bear different types and amounts of static and dynamic loads that vary significantly along its length, depending (among other things) on how the mast is supported with stays. Carbon fiber does not corrode or weather. Mastheads are custom built to your specifications including the number of halyards, arrays of wind instruments and electronics, as well as custom cranes for large roached mainsails and code zero headsails. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. GMT spars have graced yachts built by Alden, Baltic, Brooklin, Concordia, Cherubini, C&C, Deerfoot, Freedom, Hinckley, Herreshoff, Hylas, Lyman-Morse, Morris, Nautor Swan, Northshore, PJ, Sabre, Tartan, Open 40s, 50s and 60s, and hundreds of custom yachts worldwide. Its not good, however, to have a lot of weight waving around high above the deck. And is it really necessary to buy a carbon mast? More stability effectively means more power on some points of sail; less pitching and rolling means less resistance to forward motion and also important for cruising less risk of seasickness and a more comfortable ride. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. At least we hardly feel it. We typically install electric or hydraulic furling motors, allowing you to furl your sail with the touch of a button from the cockpit. This is an important consideration when venturing offshore. In most cases it boils down to cost. The information on this web site is based on what has worked for the authors in the past, but that does not mean it will work for you, or that it is the best, or even a good way for you to do things. This negatively affects the yachts stability, making her more tender (prone to heeling) and it increases her pitching (fore and aft motion) and rolling at sea. We are not a huge mass production outfit that will tell you what you want and what sail maker you need to work with. I know his boom weighed 50% more than mine and I assume his mast was similarly stout so I was wondering if he was correct that the spruce was lighter than the aluminum. A sister ship replaced their spruce rig with an aluminum one and said it was a mistake, that the spruce was lighter. If sailed at 40 deg heel upwind all the time, then more of a consideration. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Followed by potential corrosion for those based in the ocean. They have competently handled the most demanding wind and weather conditions under sail, and have produced winning results in many of the worlds most prestigious sailing events. Roughly speaking, there are 2 materials used to make the mast, aluminum and carbon. Our tooling is based on the well known Hood Stowaway mast sections, with flexibility to adjust for a range of sections sizes. A lightweight carbon fiber mast also has the added advantages of being easier to step and/or remove for storage, shipping, or inspections. *GMT PRODUCTS ARE ALL PROUDLY MANUFACTURED IN THE USA*, GMT Composites, Inc. | 401.253.8802 (p) 401.253.9395(f) | 48 Ballou Blvd. One of the disadvantages of extrusion, the manufacturing process used to make aluminium masts, is that it produces a mast with the same cross sectional size and wall thickness along its entire length. We have many more examples including Defiant, a Hinckley 70 that went through a complete refit and our mast went back in. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. In the last post I explained why we replaced our old aluminium mast. one con I have heard of is that the UV coating needs to be redone every couple of years. However, choosing a carbon fibre mast can make even an excellent yacht a little bit better. With the correct techniques, competitive sailors can adjust their rigging, sails, and sail trims to utilize this engineering in conditions from light breezes to heavy gusts. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Adrian is often asked Are carbon masts any good? to which he always replies yes. What would happen when adding a carbon rig to an ocean cruising Rustler? He thought it was a daft idea, but then he sailed that Rustler 44 up to Southampton. Decisions such as, but not limited to, heading offshore, where you go, and how you equip your boat, are yours and yours alone. Use code WINDFOIL-NATION at checkout for 5% off. Actually, its easier to maintain than aluminum, which can pit or corrode if not perfectly maintained. The added stiffness of a carbon mast, exactly where it is needed, results in a substantially lower fatigue rate. Whether you own a heavy displacement megayacht, traditional or modern cruiser, a classic yacht requiring a replacement spar in refit, or a round-the-world race boat, GMT has the experience and successful record you can rely on. what are some of the pros and cons of a carbon rig. Lets be clear: having an aluminium mast does not make our boats unstable or uncomfortable. Is a carbon mast worth the extra cost? Carbon fibre is stiffer and weighs less than other mast materials, but its also quite a lot more expensive. The choice depends upon your individual requirements, and we will discuss the optimum solution with you based on your goals. Then hes asked if he would buy one and he says No. We only email about once a month - no spam! Thats more to you than a piece of carbon. The benefits of carbon masts arent just for racing yachts. You must log in or register to reply here. Shes been around for a while and she performs really well, as she was designed to. Whatever that load is, the whole aluminium mast has to be exactly the same. They often sell directly without the middle man, they dont have huge overhead or marketing costs, and can therefore offer quality carbon foils at highly competitive prices (for example: Aeromod, Bug foils ). His was 75 pounds. GMT Composites has been building carbon fiber masts for sailboats longer than any other builder in the world. Not much, but the foil then becomes a little restless. We can match the color and grain of any species of tree and have been sent sections of actual wooden spars whose color, grain structure and even natural imperfections we were able to duplicate in polyurethane. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. (You can read this post to learn more about the 4 main windfoiling styles). As a result, the fuselage is about 1 cm further back compared to the aluminum variant, but the main difference is that the angle of the fuselage (at the front of the mast) is larger than with the aluminum mast. So why have we recently had three owners request a carbon fibre mast for their Rustler 42? Most of the earliest carbon spars were finished in clear-coat linear polyurethane. I was worried that it might make her fidget on the water, like a boat without a mast. Dangers such as, but not limited to, extreme weather, cold, ice, lack of help or assistance, gear failure, grounding, and falling overboard could injure or kill you and wreck your boat. At this point, you may be wondering why every yacht doesnt have a carbon fiber mast. For many, yes. They are less inclined to heeling and hobby-horsing(pitching) and thus are able to provide a more comfortable motion at sea or on anchor. Many of these forces are localised: for example a shear force at the foot and sometimes at the deck; torsion, bending and shock loads around the gooseneck, lateral forces in the spreader patches, tension and compression at the hounds (which act as a pivot point on a fractional rig), bending near the top, and so on. You may have different needs depending on what your style is.
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