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Re: Broken luff track?

Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2013 9:26 pm
by skiffboy
C-tech manufacture a carbon as well as a glass fibre track so there are definately alternatives to the current spec.

Obviously there would need be consideration given to the (potential) changes to the mast stiffness, but thats pretty damn easy to address.

Just to add something to the discussion.

Re: Broken luff track?

Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 8:23 pm
by DangerBoy
Happened again to me today, that's every batten end piece of track replaced :-( fingers crossed I get let off for a while as it spoils a regatta.

Re: Broken luff track?

Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 9:02 pm
by paul manning
Just picked up on Mr. Dangerboy having broken the track on a number of occasions.

Please note that a previous owners batten tension is not a good reason to leave the tensions the same. The sail shrinks quite significantly, as do all laminate sails, over time and if batten tensions are not backed off accordingly you'll end up with extremely tight battens. That is probably what Chris was picking up on.

This may or may not help reduce track damage, but it will help your sail set better!

Re: Broken luff track?

Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2013 1:42 pm
by DangerBoy
Paul,

My batten tensions are all wound off now on my training sail and my race sail were never that tight. I think it just that is was windy and perhaps the track was carrying an old injury from the training sail!

Certainly hoping for it all to be good for a while now so i can actually concentrate on keep the mast vertical rather than horizontal more often!

Cheers
Mark GBR260

Re: Broken luff track?

Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2013 3:34 pm
by GER170
Paul, any news from Selden?

At ACO we have the facility to do analysis of plastics. I am thinking of a fracture toughness analysis. If I could have a good and a bad piece of track we could try and check for any difference.

The hard bit might be getting hold of a piece of track from "the good old days"....Any ideas?

Re: Broken luff track?

Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2013 7:50 pm
by paul manning
I could try Iver, but as you say, I'm not sure whether I could find a good bit, as it wouldn't have been broken and therefore replaced...

That said, I think I've got a broken top section and will look tomorrow...

Re: Broken luff track?

Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2013 9:08 pm
by bambam
i have a section of track about 150mm (i think) long from my mast GBR 176, the only problem it was probably stressed when the mast snapped.

But your welcome to it if you want it.

Re: Broken luff track?

Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2013 9:09 am
by paul manning
That would be very helpful, thanks.

Can you post to me?

Re: Broken luff track?

Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2013 10:48 am
by rme
paul i have a few bits of old track at home if you need them.

Re: Broken luff track?

Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2013 6:58 pm
by paul manning
Thank you.

You can either post or give to e at the dinghy show or an open :D

Re: Broken luff track?

Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2013 2:22 pm
by rme
paul i will drop it off with jon on saturday. i have several bits.

Re: Broken luff track?

Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2013 3:07 pm
by Rick
Any parts need to be marked up with the age and or sail number of the boat so we can get a view of what came from where ...

Re: Broken luff track?

Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2013 5:35 pm
by GER170
I have now three pieces of track
1) Given to me by Jon Simpson 4/3/2013, from a broken mast (sail number unknown)
2) Given to me by Jon Simpson 4/3/2013, source unknown (sail number unknown)
3) Track purchased direct at Ovington Boats 27/10/2010 as spare track

Up front, I can already say that there are two different geometries!

More details to follow.

If anybody else could upload pictures of their intact/broken track that would be great!

Re: Broken luff track?

Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2013 7:38 pm
by Rick
Hmm... That is interesting. It would be good to understand which versions come from which sail number.

Re: Broken luff track?

Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2013 7:49 pm
by paul manning
I don't know when the track changed, but it was some years ago...

Unless its an optical illusion, the one on the left (narrower footprint) is the old spec.