It is the centrepiece of every yacht's propulsion system and yet so many sailors know so little about the most important component on deck. How is such a large hollow section made in the first place, why are such similar masts so extremely differently supported? Sometimes with front lower shrouds, baby stays or back stays, sometimes without. Sometimes with straight spreaders, sometimes with swept spreaders.
These are all questions that every sailor has probably asked themselves at some point during an evening stroll through the marina, because the variety of rig geometries is enormous. Just like the expertise that the manufacturers incorporate into the shape and development of the profiles, weight reduction of the furling masts, perfection of the fittings and wear parts. Halyard discs that are easier to access, tweaked mast collars, clever solutions for more elegant spreader bases.
Rigs have been optimised for decades, so it's no wonder that there are generational differences and even "fashion trends" for the mast that many sailors are not even aware of. For example, the trend towards heavily swept-back spreaders has fundamentally changed the trim of many rigs on production yachts - at least compared to the straight spreaders that used to be common.
For the sixth part of the series we visited the aluminium profile manufacturer Sapa in Sweden and the rig builder Selden gave us an insight into the production of his factory, which produces around 13,0000 masts every year.
We show you every step of the process, from the inconspicuous grey lump of raw alumnium to the delicate asparagus on deck.
Andreas Fritsch
Editor Travel
