MastS
NorthSails
windsurf technology s i n c e 1 9 8 1
42
since 1981
2012
New mast Measuring method 2012
f o r s i g n i f i c a n t l y i mp r o ve d ben d c u r ve s a n d i n c r e a s e d b r e a k a g e s t r en g t h The industry standard IMCS mast check method meanwhile is over 30 years old. The bend curve families Flex Top, Hard Top and Constant Curve are set too wide and unprecise for modern performance sails. A so-called Constant Curve mast which almost corresponds to a Hard Top mast, has nothing to do with a Constant Curve mast, which is close to a Flex Top mast. Through the introduction of a new type of hydraulic mast measurement system with digital control technology (combined bend curve and crash check) now it’s possible to adjust the bend curve over the whole length and find ways to improve the breaking strength. Ongoing tests thus guarantee a reliable quality control.
C o n s t a n t C u r ve
Hard Top
Thanks to our new mast measuring and our refined IMCS system, we were able to analyse the masts of all other brands. This allows us to say exactly how good NorthSails masts work with other brand sails or which masts from other manufacturers are compatible with NorthSails: •N orthSails compatible masts/sails: Aerotech/Ezzy/Goya/Hot Sails/KA Sails Loft Sails/Sail Works/ Simmer/XO Sails •N orthSails partly compatible masts/sails (at about 30-40% performance loss): Gun Sails/Point 7 •N orthSails incompatible masts/sails: Hard Top: Gaastra/Maui Sails/Naish Sails/Severne Flextop: Tushingham/Neil Pryde The importance of the mast is almost always extremely underestimated. In fact the mast is the engine of each rig. Or in other words, a Ferrari chassis with a beetle engine will never be really fast!
Flex Top