On-the-fly Adjustable Mast Tracks

[sailingjoe]

Because of a post here, I was looking at pictures of the Starboard Phantom boards. Here is a quote from their website >>The Phantom Race 377 Bat Wing and 320 are Starboard's raceboards. Raceboarding is the classic racing class that is thriving with renewed enthusiasm at the moment.<< Ahh, a classic class? Whatever, they seem to be trying to revive this kind of racing dagger boards and mast tracks that are adjustable on the fly. The smallest phantom is the 295 i.e. 2.95 meters long. Perhaps they will go even smaller to daggerless boards.

[GURGLETROUSERS]

Your baiting is obvious. (Wondered how long it would be before you restarted your old tricks!)

In your selective quoting from the Starboard website,( to feed your clear hatred of longboards with dagger boards, and all who dare to offend you by continuing to sail, and, God forbid, actually race them), you 'forgot' to add the following.

"Raceboarding, organized and sanctioned by ISAF, has ALWAYS been popular thanks to its ability to deliver exciting racing in planing and non planing conditions. Through natural evolution, the winning designs tend to be LONG AND SLENDER and they ALWAYS INCLUDE DAGGERBOARDS."

The 320 Phantom is NOT an attempt to improve on that, but is designed to race in the HYBRID class, where maximum length is limited to 320 cm. and width to 100 cm.

As in other threads you will completely discount these FACTS, in that they contradict your perception of reality!

[drysuit2]

Adjustable on the fly mast tracks were a function of two things.

First: at the time, you sailed those boards in both sub planing or displacement mode, as well as planing mode. Long and Short boards were designed to take advantage of your ability to adjust where the mast base applied pressure to your board.

The most extreme example(s) being the difference between sailing a 12 foot sharp railed board, centerboard down, [mast track forward] to windward. [maybe planing...maybe not]

Vs.

Sailing a 12 foot sharp railed board, centerboard, [mast track Aft, or back]; off the wind planing.
Today most people do not sail a planing hull shape, by choice, in non planing conditions.

Second: sail shaping was less stable than it is today. In effect we have improved on sail shape, leach twist, and stability of the center of effort, to the point that most sailors do not need an adjustable mast track. [On most short boards, the sail does that automaticaly.]

Remember we used to move our fins forward and aft as well. The last time I adjusted my mast base, was when I used to switch from pointer fins in the Winter, to weed fins in Summer. I pretty much only use wave or weed finds these days...so I never move my mast base. Instead I will adjust my down haul, out haul, or just change boards.

Hope this helps

[sailingjoe]

If you read a concurrent thread here you will see an on-the-fly adjustable mast track still in production.

[keycocker]

We go out all day in changing conditions far from the launch.
I move my foot forward and ease the out when the wind drops. If it picks up a lot I move it far back for a fast exciting ride home.
This means I can sail a 6.0 with my 74liter wave board in big waves bumps and cross country slalom or a with 3.7 on a windy day.
Same board- different foot position
Those whose tracks are stuck in the middle setting have to accept much less range in whatever board they use.
Same for those who rig their sail the same every day.
It works so why not?
You can ride your ten speed in fifth all the time.That works too, but you would be better off learning to adjust the adjustable stuff on your gear.