NBMast
The wind might be missing but +39 Challenge is smiling. Repairs to their new mast, broken in the fleet races of Louis Vuitton Act 13, are now in the very last phase. On Wednesday the mast came out of the oven after lamination. The shore team is currently fitting all the components (spreaders, halyards, etc.) and by Thursday night the mast should be on the boat. Goran Marstrom, who won a silver medal in Tornado class in the 1980 Olympics), built the mast originally and has arrived from Sweden for a last check. “The shore team have done an excellent job,” he said. “After repairs the mast is almost brand new, only 7 kilos heavier. With the boats weighing 24 tons its higher centre of gravity is not perceptible in the slightest.” “It is a very stiff mast, so if on Friday conditions are light, then we still might decide to use the old one” says Angelo Glisoni, who is responsible for contact between +39 Challenge and Martrom Composite, the mast company. Repairs were carried out by the shore team of +39 Challenge by coordinating two groups of five on twelve-hour shifts. If +39 Challenge decides to use the new mast for the matches scheduled for Friday, the crew may take another night sail to test it.
