For the last couple of months I have been experimenting with different rigs on my Yorker mini, ski axles, front suspension, moving the mast forward and and the pod backward, I know its all been done before but its good to see what you can do with what you have. I have certainly learned that the increased wheel base and length together with the ski axles give a much better ride on the beach and I can maintain better speed without unnecessary wheel lift and drift. so I am reasonably clear in my mind where I am going with the winter build of my new yacht (used just for fun so regs do not matter) However the one area that I would appreciate some advice on is the mast socket. My original mini had a fixed socket giving approx 12 degree rake, in my experiments I have build a socket that allows the mast to move between 12 degrees and nearly vertical, this proved very hairy when set up as a mini but when I moved the mast socket further forward I got a sudden lift (and clunk) when turning down wind but it was manageable and in fact quite useful getting moving on a very soft beach. The question then, on a number of designs I have seen on Sea Breeze, minis and class five, the mast appears to be unrestricted in movement within the socket, on others there appears to be some adjustment to set the angle or restrict the movement. What is the agreed logic, set angle, set movement or free movement? Christmas is going to enforce some thinking rather than building time so I would appreciate some of your wisdom. Thanks

Just a few things that are known from aircraft design / nature....

1. LESS rake = higher lift (have a look at Sailplanes / Gliders) they have the wings straight out.... Also have a look at nature ie. soaring / sea birds.
But less rake also makes the exact 'angle of attack' VERY touchy. But better 'upwind'

2. MORE rake= less lift but is more tolerant on the 'angle of attack' and makes a more forgiving wing shape (have a look at commercial passenger aircraft) this allows a greater range of speeds and angles of airflows. But better for down wind.

3. The ideal wing / sail profile is an elliptical shape.... again have a look at nature ie. soaring / sea birds, the 'Spitfire' aeroplane is also a perfect example of wing profile.