Been given old but never used Neil Pryde 400 MATRIX X3 IMCS 19 mast. Does anybody know if it will suit normal modern sails, or does it require specific makes?

Thanks mate. Supported it at ends and hung weight off middle to measure deflection and it appeared the same as year old C45 mast, so hoped it would be right.

Ah! Well it was free, so I'll suck it and see. I have a Gastra Manic (old one) and I gather they are a no-no on Pryde masts, but opinion seems divided on other makes. I can but try.

Mrgob said...

Ah! Well it was free, so I'll suck it and see. I have a Gastra Manic (old one) and I gather they are a no-no on Pryde masts, but opinion seems divided on other makes. I can but try.

Old Gaastras and NP are at the opposite ends of the spectrum.
I'd be very surprised if that combo works.
Since you have the gear and you're going to use it I think many of us would appreciate a report back.

What sort of bend characteristics have Neil Pryde c 2001 masts got? I have mostly Sailworks sails that require constant curve and Im wondering if Id get them to work with a possible NP mast.( Havent got the mast yet).

The old Gastra Manic didn't even feel right (according to a hot shot who gave my rig a try) on a Tushingham C45 mast. I doubt I'll even bother trying to rig it on the Pryde mast.

The curious point is that when I supported both masts at their ends and hung a heavy block of concrete over the middle of each in turn, the measured deflections at the same points along each mast were identical. The tips in particular deflected in exactly the same curve.

It either proves that the Tushingham C 45 400 19 IMCS mast and Pryde Matrix X3 19 IMCS mast are identical, or I've measured them in the wrong way. (Hanging heavy weight over the middle.)

( The cynics might even argue that they're all the same anyway, and just have different labels stuck on! ) (I hope not!)

If you got use to new easy handling sails and then went back to what we sailed on 20 years ago you'd wonder why we bothered back then. But as gear gets better you can get away with differences in set-up and still have plenty of fun. You will find sails from NP best, other brands using constant curve also will be fine, I would try and avoid the hard top sails like gaastra and maui sails on the NP. I use to run a matrix430 on NP, aerotech and loft sails with no problem.

Well you should be able to pull enough of the draft out by over downhauling (very loose top) and lots of outhaul. What you lose is range of adjustment. When you get the sail flat enough for the battens to rotate you dont have much adjustment left and the top is too loose. You end up losing a lot of the sails range.
The centre of lift is also pulled lower in the sail. To a certain extent this can be a good thing for a lightweight short sailor. Is that you Sue?

You'll get the most out of your sail with a mast that is the correct curve or very close.
You can make do with some add hoc poor fit but you lose quite a bit.

If they are recent Gaastras then they will be designed for a 12% bend as all the others you mentioned. Its no surprise that they work.

Old Gaastras were designed for 10% bends and NP are designed for 14-15% bends.
There's a world of difference.

This is an old Gaastra Manic ...

Non-cammed, and unlikely to be older than 2001 from my reckoning, because I don't believe that Gaastra made Manics before then.

Mrgob, do you know what year your Manic is?

Incidentally, even though Gaastra masts are stiffer in the top than the bottom, they still have a very even bend curve (according to Matt Pritchard).

Still maintain that for the majority of sailors who just want to go out and get wet, that NP mast will do the job.

FlickySpinny said...

If they are recent Gaastras then they will be designed for a 12% bend as all the others you mentioned. Its no surprise that they work.

Old Gaastras were designed for 10% bends and NP are designed for 14-15% bends.
There's a world of difference.

This is an old Gaastra Manic ...

Non-cammed, and unlikely to be older than 2001 from my reckoning, because I don't believe that Gaastra made Manics before then.

Mrgob, do you know what year your Manic is?

Incidentally, even though Gaastra masts are stiffer in the top than the bottom, they still have a very even bend curve (according to Matt Pritchard).

Still maintain that for the majority of sailors who just want to go out and get wet, that NP mast will do the job.

I've tried the combination 5.3 Manic (c '03 I think) and NP 400 X9 Wave and it was virtually unsailable. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

Gaastras do have a very even bend curve as you say. Its closer to an even curve than anyone else's. NPs are very different. It's the difference that's the problem.