Mast list for Super freaks (Page 7 of 7)

Superfreak 4,7- Techno Limits Pro Channel 75% RDM Mast.

Hi Jeffrey, Hi Hot sailors,

I read the Mast List for the Superfreak but PLEASE tell me, why a Tecno Limits Mast which schould have a quite similar bend curve as the HotRods is rated with only 6 and f.e. a Naish Firestick which normally has a bend curve which is too stiff and more "Constant curve ?" is rated with 7?

I am intermediate and surf in flat water, heavy chop and maybe some small waves in future,
I just bougt an used Superfreak 4,7 I think it is 2006 or 2007, later I want to buy more superfreaks maybe, but cannot afford it at the moment- HotRod Freewave 400cm in Gemany costs 350 Euro, can get a Tecno Limits Pro Channel 75% RDM for 200 from a friend. I believe that HotRods are better quality but I do not surf in big waves- Is the bad Rating for Tecno limits just because it`s quality/strength or it is because the bend curve is not good for Superfreaks? Does the High Wind qualities of Superfreak suffer from Tecno Mast or can I take it?

Confused,

Thank you

Tommy

Also note we may be judging a model that has been updated. The last 430 Techno 430 I used was 3 years ago....

I should stay far away from TEKNOsport masts, very bad building quality and weird curve (rather sdoft bottom and stif tip with a almost mechanical bowingpoint in the middle).
The curveof the newer TECNOlimits masts stayed the same.

Gunsails: they are okay in 430 but a bit stiff in 4m and too stiff in 370, but the older Powerex RDM,s work still better.

Hi,

Greetings from Cornwall in the UK...

I think I've managed to locate a 5.3 SF here to demo and or buy. I'm 90kg and sail mainly at Gwithian where we have extremely gusty cross off wave sailing which makes for many challenges. The already gusty frontal winds have to cross over the land mass of Cornwall and drop over dunes and cliffs to reach our precious Atlantic rollers. This makes for extremely gusty conditions ranging from light wind water starts to nuking back-handy mayhem out back. There can be a weird masochistic attraction to this drama and struggle but it also gets really frustrating.

The result is that in order to be powered enough heading out a 5.3m would be ideal but out back and in the gusts a 4.7m would be fine. So I settle for a 5.0m (my most used size) and being under or over powered most of the time obviously a sail can only compensate for such swings to a degree but I have fond memories of my late 80's RAF Waves with the 3/4 batten option. I'd like to try a modern version of something similar like the SF and see if it eases things out.

My question regards my No Limitz masts.

Jeff H wrote regarding the Sumo.. "Yes. They extra wrapped so they are stiffer, but the same bend. Sumo base with a grey top makes a very nice mast."

I have a Sumo 400 and grey NoLimitz in 370, 400, 430. Should I start with the Sumo base with the 400 grey top or perhaps 430 top and Sumo base with nothing on the mast extension or any other combo?

I'd like an idea of your perceived ideal.

Thanks,

Chris

From what I can read on this forum is that the SF can be rigged and tuned in so many ways. I find it strange that this sail at the same time can be so mast sensitive. Can anyone give me a good explenation on that?

Last edited by MortenL (2009-06-08 06:20:42)

I'd like to suggest that all sails are mast sensitive and from what I've gleaned from this forum and experience is that you need both the correct mast curve for the sail design and the right stiffness. A heavier sailor such as myself will cause a mast to bend and sail to twist and de-power etc, more than a lighter sailor in any given wind strength and here a stiffer mast with the same curve will give me more "grunt".

So Hot Sails or any other manufacturer will naturally recommend you use their mast that the sail was designed around (or vice versa) however other brands of mast may still work fine but the difficulty is in finding out which masts these are. Manufactures quote IMCS but not bend curves and its easy to understand that a sail designed for a "flex top" mast will perform very differently on a "stiff top" mast but which masts are which? Then of course there is also responsiveness or whip are some masts more whippy and responsive though with equal stiffness and bend characteristics....I imagine so?

I also imagine that this "mast list for Superfreaks" thread should apply equally to Fires and Smacks etc. as these sails are also designed for the same mast.

In this thread Jefferey has kindly suggested that as a heavy-ish guy I'll like the performance using a NoLimitz Sumo 430 base with a Grey NoLimitz 400 top section which is good to know but now leaves me wondering how a Hot Rod Big Wave 400 with 430 base would work in comparison? He probably wishes this discussion would go away....

As far as I'm aware NoLimitz are the only company offering masts of differing stiffness' with the same curve albeit not optimum for Hot Sails.

I like to go windsurfing rather than repeatedly re-rig and compare masts so its great that this thread gives some information but perhaps we should all plan to shell out on Hot Rod masts as soon a finances permit and trust that Hot Sails designed them right? I also think it would be a fine thing if the likes of Powerex and NoLimitz stated what curve their masts had in relation to other brands rather than simply claiming that their masts are the "best".

A friend of mine for instance was using NoLimitz masts in his North wave sails but when he tried the correct North mast he found it made a massive improvement for the better (suddenly it did not seem gusty anymore) however he then ended up breaking more masts....

Which mast did you exactly use?

Because according to this post:

the gun mast should work in theory...

Has anyone else tried a Gun RDM mast in the superfreak?

Last edited by onkelbonus (2009-06-09 10:19:24)

Not great I am afraid, but it WILL work. Just not as well as it could with a better mast. A lot has to do with how sensitive you are. Some guys can not tell the difference, they are just "hangin on" for the ride.

.. the bigger the sail and the luff lenght, the bigger is difference. Yes.

Hi all,

My apologies if this has already been covered, but I searched the forum and couldn't find any mention of them.  Does anyone know how the KA masts (manuf. by Triana) perform in SFs.  Specifically the 430 RDM 100% carbon.

Cheers,
AC

Good to have everyone's feedback out here as very good information before going for the big purchase but I am just a starter and go by my friend's guidance right now.

FS 4600 460/25 and a rare/original/strange FS 5000 460/30 (note, Imcs 30) tested on my new  2008 Superfreak 8,0 (mast required 490/28, from 2010 460/25 is recommended as alternative choice). Both SDM. Not a super sensitive tester.
FS 4600/25 460/25: good speed and great handling, pheraphs not so much low end power, camber of sail medium-flat, leech pheraphs a bit too loose. Sail feels like a 6,5 on the Score 112 with this mast!
FS 5000/30 460/30 (bought cheap, used and like new to have a "false 490" for easy carryng in my car). What a fuel inijection: the turbo-mast for Superfreak. Sail cannot be rigged without a downhaul tool, -2 cm of extension compared to 460/25, but feels a lot more powered, and I battled  on the water at the same level or even better with a 7 batten nocam 7,7 slalom sail. On the other side handling seems less than 460/25 and sometime sail feels a little stiff,  the camber is deeper and in the no-batten zone near the mast sails is almost always somewhat folded when laying on the beach, if sail is not fully outhauled. Upper part of sail seems to have some some wrinkle, pheraphs tip is even stiffer than the rest of mast, so I'm gonna use my new Nautix tip extension instead of actual long (45 cm) base extension and see if this ways sail head seems to be more free.
So: 460/25 for stable winds up and near 14 knots, 460/30 for gusty and poor winds down to 10-12 knots
Anyway: what a sail!