Carbon Fibre Spars UK

Using the very latest technology, carbon fibre manufacturers bring to the dinghy and yachting world carbon fibre spars that herald a new dawn in the design of production CF rigs.

The latest CF spar range features super efficient profiled shapes.

The ‘Tear-Drop’ profile gives the spar the required stiffness ratios fore and aft to counteract the upwind kicker loads. Also, because of its aerofoil shape, the profiled section of the carbon fibre tube has improved air adhesion compared to a round tube, meaning that the spar will directly increase lift and reduce drag and so allow a cleaner air entry onto the luff of the mainsail. In real terms, this means the boat can point higher and go faster.

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The production technique

The alignment of composite fibres, according to the carbon fibre tubes and spars manufacturers, is central to the performance characteristics of these revolutionary spars. This allows the designer huge scope for tailoring the main and topmast section characteristics. The fibres are also laid under tension, which enables the manufacturer to provide the most efficient material choice, and the lightest spars on the market.

Comparisons with alloy ?

Although CF spars have been around for more than a few years now it's only recently they've become more obtainable and affordable to the average club sailor. Like any new product or materials in the development stages, the process to establish a proven product is fairly long-winded. However, with more and more dinghy and small keelboat sailors notching up the results with their new radical, black sticks, it seems likely alloy masts could be on the way out. There is no doubt that the pioneers in construction of carbon fibre masts are the cottage industry boat builders and spar makers who are passionate about their work, and have now become dedicated CF spars manufacturers. So how do these spars compare with alloy spars? Despite the fact this man made material is made from tiny featherweight strands of fibres, carbon fibre tubes are incredibly strong. Unlike an alloy mast, which when over stressed will either break or take up the inevitable banana-shaped kink, CF will return to its original shape, in either one piece or two! And because dinghy racers are always striving to keep the weight down for optimum speed, reducing the amount of kilos up the mast to prevent pitching is the aim of all.

The benefits

The leading CF mast and boom manufacturers in the world claim that these new spars enjoy improved stiffness ratios and aerodynamics, improved gust control, and an immediate performance effect with improved strength and durability.

Through the use of carbon fibre a mast can be manufactured which is lighter and stiffer than an aluminium mast. This can significantly improve the performance of the rig. There are 2 main manufacturing methods employed in the construction of a carbon mast.

The first is to use a standard section mould to produce a uniform section throughout the length of the mast. This is the cheapest type of carbon mast as the moulds used to make the standard section can be used more than once. They can be built as "one-offs" for a particular yacht.

This type is more expensive since a mould has to be constructed to the specifications of the mast, this mould can usually only be used once.  The main problem with carbon is the additional cost of the materials and the increased labour involved. A typical carbon mast will be approximately 7 times the cost of an aluminium mast.

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