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On-the-fly Adjustable Mast Tracks
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sailingjoe



Joined: 06 Aug 2008
Posts: 1087

PostPosted: Fri Jul 27, 2012 5:37 am    Post subject: On-the-fly Adjustable Mast Tracks Reply with quote

It's my opinion that the manufacturers stopped installing these in boards because the advantages they provided didn't justify the cost especially when boards started becoming shorter. What exactly were the advantages?
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techno900



Joined: 28 Mar 2001
Posts: 4161

PostPosted: Fri Jul 27, 2012 8:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

On longboards, 12' more or less, for maximum pointing ability (upwind), one would move the track all the way forward, maximizing the water line on the leeward rail helping the board to point higher. With the dagger-board down, the windward rail would rise up so that the deck of the board would be on about a 30-40 degree angle so that the leeward rail (in the water) would have maximum resistance to keep it from sliding sideways, thus maximizing upwind pointing. Sometimes when racing in lighter winds, one would move the track back a few inches, which would allow the board to rail up in lighter winds where if left forward, the board would not rail up. Railing up = pointing high.

With enough wind for the board to plane and allow the sailor to get into the foot straps, one would move the track all the way back to reduce the wetted surface on the board and allowing it to plane faster. Dagger-board up.

These techniques benefited racers the most as well as advanced free riders. Beginners and novices, just put the track near middle and work on the basics without much need to move it around.

While racing in good winds on a upwind/downwind/reaching course, a racer would normally have the track all the way forward some of the time and all the way back some of the time, so adjustment while moving is/was important.
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sailingjoe



Joined: 06 Aug 2008
Posts: 1087

PostPosted: Fri Jul 27, 2012 11:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

There's one on my Mistral Energy which is 105 liters (LeeD says that it actually is 99) and not a long board. I sailed it with the mast track fully back to adjust for modern sails. The fancy track seems useless today, but I imagine with an old style sail there might be a purpose for all the settings.
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techno900



Joined: 28 Mar 2001
Posts: 4161

PostPosted: Fri Jul 27, 2012 12:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't think anyone in the last 15 years has put an "on the fly" adjustable mast base on a "short" board.

Once you have the attachment point figured out based on wind, sail, conditions, skill, and sailor weight, there is no need to move it. While trying to figure it out, having an "on the fly" adjustment makes a little sense, but the extra cost, weight and something else to break or wear out would turn most buyers away in today's market.


Last edited by techno900 on Fri Jul 27, 2012 1:46 pm; edited 1 time in total
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dhmark



Joined: 04 Sep 2007
Posts: 376

PostPosted: Fri Jul 27, 2012 1:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Adjustable mast track on old Mistral short boards like Screamer Energy Stinger, which they had for a while (I had Screamer) was not meant to be "on the fly." dhmark
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sailingjoe



Joined: 06 Aug 2008
Posts: 1087

PostPosted: Fri Jul 27, 2012 2:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

dhmark wrote:
Adjustable mast track on old Mistral short boards like Screamer Energy Stinger, which they had for a while (I had Screamer) was not meant to be "on the fly." dhmark
If it was not meant to be "on-the-fly", why would the mast track be installed in the first place? In my collection of 15 boards, I also own an older Hi-Fly Curtis 320 that had an "on-the-fly" mast track. It broke, so I installed another mast track that was similar, but did not have the pedal necessary for "on-the-fly" capability. Step on the pedal and the mast base can slide through the track. Without the pedal, the alternative track remains similar but the mechanism to release the bus in the track can't be activated by foot pressure, it needs to be switched on with the fingers.
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dhmark



Joined: 04 Sep 2007
Posts: 376

PostPosted: Fri Jul 27, 2012 6:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The mast track was installed so that the mast base position could be adjusted, but not to adjust on the fly. They had a pin system to attach base, needed to have some way to move the hole for the pin. It took a lot of effort to move the base-- no way no how was it meant to adjust on the fly. Other boards I had the mast track system was above the surface of the board, not buried in the board like the Mistral. On those boards, all the fittings were looser, the track would move easily. dhmark
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keycocker



Joined: 10 Jul 2005
Posts: 3598

PostPosted: Fri Jul 27, 2012 7:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

They break often. If you store them over the season they freeze up then you break them hitting on them. Mine came apart while I was sailing. There is a photo out there of me standing on water sheeting in like crazy with a surprised look on my face but no board visible.
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dllee



Joined: 03 Jul 2009
Posts: 5328
Location: East Bay

PostPosted: Fri Jul 27, 2012 10:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

AHD has an adjustable track that almost worked, but needed daily maintainance. Best used on their 9'4" slalom.
Track position, like footstrap position, is personal. Most people like it a different spot even on the same model boards.
Energy, since I worked the leading Mistral dealership in California, I might know a bit. The older Screamer was floatier.
BicERock was much floatier.
Ride277 was also around 99 liters, stated at 103.
F2Axxis 278 was also under 100 liters, stated at 102.
Nobody ever bothered to measure the floatation of a finished board. They only guessitmated the pre production PLUGS.
HaroldIggy, an old ws acquaintance from Backyards, told me the Germans ASKED him what volume to put on the early model Scrreamers and Stingers plugs. He just made up a number.
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sailingjoe



Joined: 06 Aug 2008
Posts: 1087

PostPosted: Sun Jul 29, 2012 8:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The Energy mast track I have has been sitting on the same setting for a long time. When I checked it recently, it was hard to move. However, once I lubricated the track, it slid easily. Nevetheless, I won't be using it. I just think of the "resale" value of having a functional track. I did experiment with the Hi-Fly mast track on the fly, but it really was too difficult to be moving it a lot. So the Germans would emboss the board with a volume number and not actually measure it. That doesn't surprise me. Whatever, I bought a modern board to replace my Energy. Then I started to get nostalgic about using it. As LeeD stated, the reason it received bad reviews was because people were sailing it overpowered with too large of a fin i.e. going for top speed. I used a mistral fin that was not too large and avoided sailing it overpowered as much as I could. It was a very fast board when sailed as it was meant to be used i.e. off the fin. After one session in radical winds a guy came up to me and complimented my sailing. Given the narrow profile I did have trouble going upwind and was wondering if using the adjustable track might help a sailor with more skill than I.
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