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Rig Control on the Edge SDM or RDM?
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spanker_jeep



Joined: 15 Mar 2002
Posts: 404
Location: Outer Richmond District.

PostPosted: Tue Apr 22, 2014 10:16 am    Post subject: Rig Control on the Edge SDM or RDM? Reply with quote

Which mast giveth better control when OP'd? Any merit to the notion that SDMs have better control on the ragged edge?
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spanker_jeep



Joined: 15 Mar 2002
Posts: 404
Location: Outer Richmond District.

PostPosted: Tue Apr 22, 2014 10:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I sail on the ragged edge.
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MalibuGuru



Joined: 11 Nov 1993
Posts: 9293

PostPosted: Tue Apr 22, 2014 10:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I use SDM's most of the time in light wind real world conditions. They offer slightly more power than the RDM masts, and I need that.

RDM's are just easier to control, turn, and handle. If you are close to over powered sailing, just use the RDM's. If you are a light guy, use the RDM's.

PS, my SDM masts are very high end high carbon, and light. If you don't have high carbon content SDM's, just use the skinny's all the time.
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DAVIBO



Joined: 04 Jun 1996
Posts: 52

PostPosted: Tue Apr 22, 2014 10:33 am    Post subject: rig control? Reply with quote

to get max range and control, I think it's all in the sail and using the exact mast that the sail was designed for in that year as bend curve makes a huge difference in performance - the mfgr(s). like to claim their masts work universally but they don't.
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spanker_jeep



Joined: 15 Mar 2002
Posts: 404
Location: Outer Richmond District.

PostPosted: Tue Apr 22, 2014 10:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I find RDMs noodly, scary and unstable when overpowered and difficult to plan up on.
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rlemmens



Joined: 09 Feb 2008
Posts: 206

PostPosted: Tue Apr 22, 2014 11:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think a new, smaller sail may be cheaper than a new mast.
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Gorge_R_and_D



Joined: 14 Nov 2006
Posts: 14

PostPosted: Tue Apr 22, 2014 11:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Suba-rude wrote:
I find RDMs noodly, scary and unstable when overpowered and difficult to plan up on.


You are on the wrong mast for your sail(s). Like DAVIBO, have the mast with the right bend for you sail will give you the most range - RDM or SDM. FOr instance if you try to rig a Neil Pryde on a classic No-Limitz skinny, you are bound to be disappointed, but if you rig the same sail on a Neil Pryde RDM mast or similar flextop RDM, it will be a totally different sail....
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dvCali



Joined: 23 Aug 2007
Posts: 1314

PostPosted: Tue Apr 22, 2014 11:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Suba-rude wrote:
I find RDMs noodly, scary and unstable when overpowered and difficult to plan up on.

It depends ... people using RDM Loft Sails and Hot Sails Maui Race Sails are doing 40-45 knots on speed trials routinely ... and they are quite overpowered Shocked

The agreement seems to be that heavy sailors benefit from SDM, and most PWA slalom guys (most happily around 200 pounds) use SDMs. But you are talking about severely overpowered conditions for extremely short bursts of speed: think 3 square meters oversize for a 4' long race ...

For recreational sailors like us I don't think it makes much a difference. At my weight (160) I use RDM up to 8.0 with no problem, and the sail that I use most very overpowered (HSM 6.6 GPS/GP2) seems completely happy with RDM ... of course if you are using the wrong mast is a different story: there (in overpowered conditions) is where things will start to fall apart!
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Tue Apr 22, 2014 11:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

My mast criteria include:
1. Use what the sail was designed for.
2. Use something that's not going to break.
3. Use what gives me a very wide, stable range of power and speed in my sails (see # 1). *I* get overpowered before my masts do, and I enjoy sailing a 6.2 when most people my size are enjoying 5.2s and many are rigging 4.7s.

For me, that means NoLimitz Skinny Sumos from 3.7 to 6.2, a 1 kilogram RDM 100% Gulftech carbon 340 for my 3.2. I MIGHT go to a NoLimitz F.A.S.T. for my 7.0 if I need more responsive pumping.
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KevinDo



Joined: 02 Jul 2012
Posts: 426
Location: Cabrillo Inside

PostPosted: Tue Apr 22, 2014 12:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I personally prefer RDMs for my smaller sails (140lbs). 6.6 and up I prefer SDM, 5.8 and below I use RDMs.
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