What sail can I pair with this odd Powerex 500cm?

nodak · Joined: 13 Nov 2012 Posts: 130

I have this odd size 500cm Powerex mast. It's 80% carbon. IMCS 32. Ideally, Id like a light wight 9+ m sq sail for light wind.

joethewindsufa · Joined: 10 Oct 2010 Posts: 1190 Location: Montréal

ask HotSailsMaui about PX match with their SpeedFreaks
10 meter supposed to work with 490, 500 even better

SeaDawg · Joined: 12 Sep 2002 Posts: 384

I have a 9.5 Pryde V8 1999/2000 In very good condition that would fit on that mast. You can have it for free. It's located in Dunkirk NY. I won't be there till late June. I will ship it at your cost. I also have Pyrde Spirit 8.8 that would work.

nodak · Joined: 13 Nov 2012 Posts: 130

So it's a soft top mast I take it. Hotsails Maui & NP bein examples of soft top. NP being softer. Good to know.

All my nails are HotSails with Speed freak 8.5 as biggest.

coachg · Joined: 10 Sep 2000 Posts: 3550

I would be surprised if it is a soft top mast. Powerex has been CC as long as I can remember. Per their web site.

http://www.powerexmasts.com/bend_curve.php

You can always measure the mast bend yourself. I measured my Powerex mast & got 63-74 for a difference of 11% which is within their 1% tolerance of their 12%.

Coachg

U2U2U2 · Posted: Mon Mar 11, 2019 11:23 am Post subject:

Powerex is a constant curved product, esp this old.

Any sail that uses cc will work.
Sailworks Ezzy Aerotech, Northwave, North, Simmer, Goya.

Older versions of Naish, Gaastra, Maui Sails, Hot Sails, NP have a hard or soft top preference, the PX , will work just not as well

mark · Joined: 10 Apr 2000 Posts: 181

I just wanted to elaborate a bit on the older Neil Pryde and Gaastra sails mast bends. I might be off a bit on the dates.

Neil Pryde sails were constant curve through the 90's with Fiberspar constant curve masts being one of the preferred mast options. Barry Spanier left Neil Pryde in 1999 so all of the sails designed before that time were constant curve. Not sure when Neil Pryde made the mast curve change but Sea Dog's 1999 V8 is most likely constant curve. His Sprit sail which was probably made a few years later is most likely a flex top. Having said that I do have a 2003 Neil Pryde Diablo 7.4 which I use on a 460 Fiberspar 100% carbon mast. It rigs up without any issues and seems to work just fine.

After leaving Neil Pryde, Spanier joined Gaastra as part of the Team. Gaastra sails at that time were constant curve and they remained so during the time when Spanier was their sail designer. I have a set of 2002 Gaastra Manic wave sails that even has the preferred mast written on them. The preferred mast was the Fiberspar Reflex Wave which is definitely a constant curve mast.

Spanier then became part of Maui Sails in 2005 so sometime around that date Gaastra moved toward using the hard top masts.

U2U2U2 · Posted: Mon Mar 11, 2019 4:33 pm Post subject:

Check the
Unifier mast chart for the specific year, to see when and if a brand changed.

SeaDawg · Joined: 12 Sep 2002 Posts: 384

I believe my NP Spirt 8.8 was circa 2002 The mast I used was a powerx 520 which I had cut about 10cm off of. 5cm from the top, 5cm from the bottom, I was satisfied with the 9.5 V8 and the 8.8 Sprit on the mast.

boardsurfr · Joined: 23 Aug 2001 Posts: 1266