Ocean Racing Magazine - #6 - December 2007 & January 2008 - (Page 67)

blem was that they weigh more than conventional profiles and are still not that reliable. Today, the weight deficiency of these modular monolithic carbon spars is no longer a problem. As for their reliability, it is still not 100%, if you look at PRB’s dismasting last year, but there again, are traditional masts 100 % reliable? «Personally, the main advantage I find with wing masts is the outriggers, which allow you to extend the leverage point on the foresails by almost two metres beyond the deck …» It’s no run-ofthe-mill sailor saying that but Pascal Conq, himself, from the Finot/Conq team. Was he joking? No, a considered remark that is really a step forward. Among the advantages of the wing mast, Pascal Conq mentions the presence of the outriggers or sheet spreaders and the simplicity of the shrouds- two main shrouds – a lower shroud + 2 shrouds acting as a link between the deck fitting and the tip of the outrigger – but he hardly mentions the aerodynamic advantages of the wing mast, whose diameter measures around 50/60 cm, and rarely more. He continues by talking about the need to adapt the adjustment of the shrouds, in particular longitudinally – to the configuration of the sail, especially now that the larger sails are hoisted to the top of the mast. He is not satisfied with the theory that a wing mast is only «a beam retained by windward shrouds» and is in favour of a rig held in place on both sides. Which also poses some problems. In fact, Pascal likes a traditional mast to have a lot of shrouds to hold it in place, with three layers of spreaders and a welltested rig. He willingly adds that the centre of gravity is lower than the wing and that in terms of cost its manufacture costs less than its wider cousin. A wing-mast for Brit’Air ! Those outriggers are really practical In terms of drawing up one’s preferences, Armel Le Cléac’h, the skipper of Brit’Air with its wing mast could say he really had no choice, considering the aerodynamic business of his partner. More seriously, he talks about the experience of his brother, Gaël on Roland Jourdain’s Sill; which was equipped in this way and the choices taken by his famous elders, Vincent Riou and Michel Desjoyeaux (all three have the same spar). Thanks to this experience, he is deeply involved in setting the angle of his wing-mast according to the point of sailing and strongly believes in the result. He is pleased about the outriggers, which are relatively swept back and appreciate the fact that it is easier to take a reef in the mainsail with the mast track in the axis of the batten carts and that no spreader hinders the opening up of the mainsail. «The only constraint is that you need to do something about the adjustments of the rig to keep the mast upright whatever the sail.». To achieve this, Armel fiddles around with the adjustments of the stays and the various tension differences between the lower and higher backstays. PRB moreover has lower shrouds attached to a hydraulic jack. That is not the case for Brit’Air. The simplicity of the standing rigging of a wing mast (held at the tip of the outriggers) compared to that of conventional rigging have any floats to fix the shrouds to. That is why the Finot/Conq team and their client Yves Parlier came up with a new idea: long spreaders at the bottom of the mast. Thus, Aquitaine Innovations was a major newcomer in her time with her sinago rig. In spite of losing her mast in the southern seas, it was a good idea and wing masts appeared everywhere. Their major pro- Illustration : Lorima Ocean Racing - december 2007

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Ocean Racing Magazine - #6 - December 2007 & January 2008

Cover
Edito
Contents
What they said
News
Portfolio - The news in the picture
Transat Jacques Vabre - Monohulls in power
In the words of the skipper - Michel Desjoyaux, A little bit more
Barcelona World Race - A couple sailing around the world
Imoca - Growth crisis in the Imoca class
Transat 6.5 - A whole series of records
Mini Class - Anatomy of a winner
Multihulls - What sort of trimarans tomorrow ?
Volvo Ocean Race - Second generation
Trials - Mach 45 : an unusual IRC
Match Racing - King Richard
Tactics - A good start
Portrait - Jacques Caraës
Lab - Tubular or wing mast ?
Forty years ago - Chichester, the lonely sea and the sky
Equipment - Shop window
New products - From the drawing board to the boatyard
Opinion - The mirage of worshipping technology

Ocean Racing Magazine - #6 - December 2007 & January 2008