Flexible mast from iceboat on a racing dinghy

[pironiero]

what if we put flexible mast from iceboat on a lightweigt racing dinghy?

 

[gonzo]

If you design a dingy around the mast, it should work fine.

 

[BlueBell]

Which iceboat is it, a DN (Detroit News) with a 16 foot mast?

How long is the dingy?

 

[pironiero]

Which iceboat is it, a DN (Detroit News) with a 16 foot mast?

How long is the dingy?

It's a pure hypothetical, im just curious

 

[johneck]

The extreme flexibility helps the iceboat in a few ways which are not really needed for most sailboats. It allows the sails to be flattened nearly completely since the boats sail over a very wide speed range. They also act as one of the main shock absorbers in the system to help the sailor deal with wind gusts, easing the sheet is a bad thing in your DN. Much less need for either in a typical sailboat. They are perhaps closer to what you would find for windsurfer or Moth masts.

 

[BlueBell]

easing the sheet is a bad thing in your DN.

I owned and sailed a DN for three years and know the way to avoid a tip is to ease the sheet, and/or head up-wind.
I'm not interested in arguing with you Johneck, but this is a public forum and I don't want to see misinformation posted.

BB

 

[johneck]

Yeah, OK. I was not trying to say that you shouldn't ever ease the sheet, but the more you can sail without doing so, the better your chance of winning the race. The flexible mast and the flexible plank help.