Stress is a key factor to consider in mast design. Masts used for maritime navigation are not afraid of compressive stress, but they are most afraid of forward bending stress. When the bending stress is too strong, the mast will easily break. This is most obvious when sailing downwind, when both the mainsail and the spinnaker halyard have a forward pulling force on the top of the mast. If the pulling force exceeds the stress range of the mast, the mast will easily break forward. Considering the material of the mast, the strength of the mast itself is very important. A mast with high strength is easier to maintain its shape and form a suitable arc when exposed to wind to improve the shape of the sail and prevent the forestay from slackening, thereby improving the sailing performance of the ship. On the other hand, a mast with a lighter weight can increase the ship’s righting moment and reduce the pitch of the ship during sailing, making the sailing faster and more comfortable. Lightweight crossbars and spinnaker poles are also easier to operate, which can greatly reduce the sailor’s work intensity.
Traditional metal masts have high mass, low strength, and insufficient stability. The masts are made of low-density, high-strength carbon fiber composite materials, which can reduce the weight by more than one-third than aluminum alloy masts. If the mast itself is significantly lighter, The center of gravity of the mast and sailboat will then be lowered, reducing the ballast of the ship. At the same time, the weight of the ship’s keel will also be reduced, making the hull easier to balance. The carbon fiber composite mast made of layer-by-layer cross-winding technology greatly improves the strength and enhances the stability of the sailboat, making it faster and safer to sail. From the perspective of stress, carbon fiber composite materials with high strength and high modulus can provide sufficient stiffness to resist bending deformation along the longitudinal direction of the mast; from the perspective of use environment, carbon fiber composite materials with good corrosion resistance can effectively resist seawater, Negative effects of environmental factors such as salt spray. Therefore, high-performance composite masts have broad market application prospects.
