Um, why is there no window? What's he gonna do, close his eyes and use the Force?
I read a while ago that the top racing yachts will be using an inflatable mast in the next few years, that would be a cool innovation in sailboarding if it transferred across, an inflatable luff that became the mast imagine the space that would save.
^^^ This is begging for a kiter to troll re; natural progression from sail/mast to 'inflatable luff'-style sail with no mast - just add strings...
...or are you guys just taking the p!ss, and encouraging a troll from the other side?
nah apparently the blokes in white coats have run the slide rule over it and they are saying that is the next big thing, I would assume that it will also require a redesign of the actual sail. Like I said it was something that I read a while ago in one of those flash yachting magazines. The cost of a mast for one of those things must be ridiculous so I would assume that they would be keen to find a cheaper alternative.
I googled " inflatable yacht masts" ....... Nothing
Think you dreamt that
Actually I say nothing ,but google search does reveal one crazy thread entry by some gregc on a forum called seabreeze .... So must be true!
Thank you Dr J still most would have thought that the winged keel wouldn't work, the canting keel Oh and the kite spinnaker that is used on most offshore racing yachts now.
But still if it aint on google it must not be true. We will still be chatting about this in 10 years whilst on the deck of my inflatable yacht with canting keel, ion drive and invisible sail with holes in it.
Well this looks like a simple challenge to me.. I for one would be interested in the source of this Inflatable Future Mast.... I'm hoping it's for a Yacht sponsored by Viagra..
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Evolution has mastered the foil numerous times and they all have a common theme, a rigid supporting mast like appendage.. I would eat my hat if an inflatable sock could be built to replace my carbon mast..
I think the fact that this thing could fly is proof that masts are pretty much perfect..
And the existence of our Yacht sponsor will attest to the problems with inflatable masts, but in most animals evolution has a solution...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baculum
Walrus mast..
Raccoon mast..
I'll get my coat..
I guess if we keep sail design exactly the same then it would be a no go (maybe) but still thinking with those INNOVATIONS in MANUFACTURING and MATERIALS (he he) that something may be possible. There are a number of Masts that are already inflatable used for telecommunications that have to withstand fairly high wind shear with some valuable equipment on them, also an inflatable wind turbine design (the bloke that designed the segway). Apparently inflatable battens are used on yachts (at the high end).
Barn maybe not replacing the carbon mast but maybe reducing the amount of mast you need after all some smart bugger may come up with a design that still uses some form of carbon rod but maybe its four little bits of carbon rather than one big round tube of it.
Inflatable *board SUP (from KA360 topic)
[}:)]
If they could design a bladder to fit behind the mast and inflate the actual luff sleeve to form a ridged leading edge it would eliminate the need for cams hold the power locked in and best thing is that it would float.
You would rig the sail normally then pump tight the luff pocket....
Time to think outside the box. Never mind designing an inflatable SDM mast to fit in your old sails; what would be needed is an entirely new "mastless" sail which incorporates a wide, rigid inflatable luff sleeve, (which someone hinted at earlier)...perhaps it would look a bit like the one in the photo at the top of this page, a super-wide luff sleeve. And it would be a honey to waterstart; totally unsinkable!
didn't A.R.T. had insertable bladders before?? this is just a resurrection if indeed it had one
If you could have an inflatable mast, surely everything could be inflatable..... Boom, fins , board?
You could get it all in one bag..... Sweeeeeeet
