Mast Sail Compatibility

sailwave · Joined: 11 May 2000 Posts: 113 Location: Redwood City, CA

I found this chart on seabreeze.com but not sure how vetted it has been. Anybody spot any false claims or out of date data? It appears to be circa 2012. I am particularly interested in Ezzy mast compatibility with Hotsails, Maui Sails and North. This topic is likely well beat up in the past on a iwindsurf forum somewhere but in the search tool I could not find a good summary. If picture is too fuzzy, click the link.

http://www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Windsurfing/General/compatible-mastsail-brands/

pete1111 · Joined: 16 Apr 2005 Posts: 193 Location: The Dude

I like this one
http://www.unifiber.net/2012/mast-selector

U2U2U2 · Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2015 11:47 pm Post subject:

Ezzy with HSM, no, Maui Sails unsure but may work as they changed from Hard top to constant curve very recent, I think.North should be ok.

Uni fiber will have the best uptodate info.

U2U2U2 · Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2015 9:48 am Post subject:

The unifiber chart is updated yearly 2014.2 is the current one.

It shows Maui sails as constant curve, they like some others have changed , so be aware that other years will require hard top.

The North is cc. While HSM is as it has been is a soft top. On paper this would not be ideal, in real life, I think it would but it a fringe would. I have both Ezzy And some HSM and masts of each, because that I don't interchange.

This chart and several others, are a guide, the Unifiber does appear accurate.
You may note that the chart is for which sails require which mast, there are not companies that make sell just masts.

Of the sails and masts that you mention, you can email or even call them to receive expert advise, bar North, for me anyway.
HSM have on the Superfreak forum A thread on masts , for the ? You pose as well.
Since you mention Ezzy specific which are RDM, I have found SDM generally adapt better to less than ideal mixes.

adywind · Joined: 08 Jan 2012 Posts: 665

The Ezzy masts are on the soft top side of the constant curve category. The problems this could create when used in sails designed for hard/er top masts range from moderate-like having to kick the lowest batten to make it bend to leeward after a turn, to severe -having to push at the boom level to make the sail rotate at all.

dhmark · Joined: 04 Sep 2007 Posts: 376

If its any help, my ezzy sail (Zephyr) rigs exactly as it should (right amount of floppiness at specified base settings) on a HotSails Maui 460 RDM. dhmark

U2U2U2 · Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2015 11:35 am Post subject:

OP

re thinking this , without the specific mast size, the Ezzy and the intended year and specific sail , too much theory is needed to make a un informaed statement, just not enough info.

andy, the Ezzy mast depending on size will equate is roughly 76 top 63 bottom, using the mast bend curve test. This is a 13, subtract the 2. 13 fall into constant curve flex top, so I agree, I doubt a 490 would have the same numbers nor a 340. Considering the way the number scale works on this mast bend curve thing, a mast having 74 and 61 would also equate to 13, it will be considerably stiffer. Most soft top masts are just that, softer on top, so a 78 .

Since the number system only goes from 0 --20 I think that's right, zero being it does NOT bend, 8 being the lowest I have see, 10 more typical for a hard top, and softs 16, the range of numbers is quite narrow, making even a .5 difference a factor. The more telling figures are the stiffness relationship between the top and bottom, along with ALL the other factors, carbon, carbon orientation...more..

sailwave · Joined: 11 May 2000 Posts: 113 Location: Redwood City, CA

I have a 430 RDM Ezzy mast and 460 Ezzy top and use on sails 5.2m to 6.5m. Currently looking to buy a ~5.8m sail and double checking mast compatibility before I buy.

Interesting inputs all, thank you. My main take away from all this and web research is that most sail vendors (including Maui sails which switched in 2014) are heading to constant curve in general with some subtle variation that may cause tweeks in compatibility. There are two just two main outliers, Gaastra and Neil Pryde. The unifiber chart is obviously out of date on Maui Sails. Goya sails actually claims they fit Ezzy masts the best even though the unifiber chart says Goya is more flex top. It was interesting to see North website claim such a broad statement that their masts are compatibility with Aerotech / Avanti Sails / Ezzy Sails / Goya Sails / Gun Sails / Hot Sails / KA Sails / Loft Sails / Maui Sails / Naish Sails / Sailloft / Sailworks / Severne.

U2U2U2 · Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2015 5:39 pm Post subject:

460 is not used IMO on this size sail , nor a combo of 430/460

HSM Superfreak Maui Edition a 430

North Volt 5.9 or Her0 5.8 a 430

Maui Sails Legend 5.7 or Global 5.8 a 430

Ezzy Cheetah 6.0 OR TIGER 5.8 a 430

this assumes you want a wave sail or kinda bump and jump, Cheetah in 6.0 is a bit of a name changer.

Most sails in 5.6 5.7 5.8 , not all , ask for a 400 or a combo of sizes, none 460.

The current Unifiber chart the 2014.2 version shows Maui Sails as CC.

version while .

kevinkan · Joined: 07 Jun 2001 Posts: 1661 Location: San Francisco

For these kinds of charts to be accurate, they really need to be broken down by RDM/SDM and by size. Many brands of masts/sails don't have a consistent bend throughout the whole mast/size range.

I'd say as for Maui Sails, the bend change from hard top to constant curve in the wave/freestyle/RDM lineup has been very small... most people wouldn't notice. However, the bend change on the SDM race masts is notable. Lay two sails w/ the different masts side by side, and there's a huge difference.

I saw somewhere where NP describes its mast bend as treating the bend near the boom as a constant, so smaller masts would be more flex top and longer masts would be more constant curve.

This guy also had a mast bend database... you can see the numbers are all over the place

http://www.peterman.dk/masts-all-imcs01.htm