Challenger performance vs x9

[swe142]

Hej

Har kört med Challenger performance master till mina RS5 segel istället för X9 hela säsongen och det fungerar utmärkt. Vad jag kan bedömma så beter sig seglet på samma sätt som när det är riggat på en X9 mast. Har kört med 580 till min 11.6a och 520 till 9.8an. Har man en 10.7a skall 550 passa utmärkt och man riskerar då inte heller knäcka förlängaren som med X9 530 masten.

Performance masten är ca. 100-200 g tyngre än X9 så den bör vara något starkare men är alltså inte 100% identisk med X9an. Dock så knäckte jag en Performance mast i SWT i Halmstad efter att masten legat i mastfickan i solen någon timme dock med boardbagen över som solskydd men det hjälpte inte….. Challenger har bekräftat för mig att deras mast (och alla 100% karbonmaster utan solskydd) förlorar mycket av sin styrka när mast temperaturen går över 60 grader vilket den lätt gör om seglet ligger på en vindskyddad plats i solen. Så håll seglet i vind vid vattenkanten som kyler ner det och känn alltid på masten innan man drar nerhalet. Är masten varm –> Kyl den några minuter i vatten först!!!

Skulle Performance masten knäckas i ett NP RS segel så har tyvärr Challenger dragit tillbaka garantin då de hävdar att alla RS seglena har för kraftig mast böjkurva och detta tyder på att fler än jag har knäckt Challenger master i RS segel. Jag hade lite tur och fick min 520 på garanti ändå men det kan bli problem.

Min slusats är ändå att jag hellre kör Performance än den vanliga X9an då jag tror och hoppas den håller bättre (min knäcktes av värme) och ger likvärdig prestanda. Hade det gått att få tag på X9 Ultra hade jag nog hellre kört den men den kostar å andra sidan dubbelt så mycket och köper man en begangnad får man ändå ingen garanti… Challenger kommer även med en solskyddad mast (aluminium hölje) 2007 vilket kanske löser problemet med att deras master knäcks av värmen.

//Mvh Håkan, SWE-142

[svanvik]

Ni har säkert redan läst detta men ändå.
—
Hi Karl-johan,

now I have set NP Forum to show my e-mail address.

About your question, following you can read a detailed reply
I’ve prepared for all people contact me about X9 530 issues.

Please, note this reply is dated december 2005.

In the meanwhile I have personally switched to North Sails (Warp
Formula 2006 for all my sails) and RS5 has been replaced by RS6,
but X9 (and X9 Ultra) breackages nightmare is yet really concrete.

Regards.
– EXPANDER.

—

START OF REPLY ABOUT NP X9 530 ISSUES
—

PREAMBLE: I’m not connected in ANY WAY with any of commercial
brands mentioned in this message; following
considerations have to intend as expression
of a personal thought and in the same way they
relieve me from responsibilities of any kind.

Dear ALL,

as written in NP Forum some weeks ago, I’ve just bought a
second-hand Neil Pryde RS5 10.7.

Resolute in resolving the well-known X9 mast issue and, after
I have highlighted this question in NP Forum with no
circumlocutions, same days later I was contacted by an
italian windsurfer.

This guy had the fortune to compare NP X9 530 with other two masts
of different brands, REPTILE Race 550 and another one, always
550 long, for the present I want to call ”The Other”.

Only REPTILE mast, as I’ve discovered later, is made by TRIANA,
a weel-known italian manufacturer specialized in working carbon
parts; ”The Other”, instead, is produced by REGLASS, another
italian manufacturer.

Well, this italian windsurfer tells me he has made both a VISUAL
comparation on these masts (physical comparation on type of
materials, surface finishing, rings and caps, and on how these
masts fit in his RS5), both in THE FIELD, that is in how they
have reacted in terms of performances.

This guy, I think a very meticulous guy, is come to a close:
REPTILE mast is a good mast but there is something that makes
it a merely COMPATIBLE mast, as X6, and NOT a full replacement
of X9.

”The Other” mast, instead, has JUST SAME physical characteristics
and performances of X9, or rather IS RIGHT the X9, with absolutely
no dubts (or better, with a very low-error margin).

Anyway I have found other further confirmations to his assessments,
in the end my opinion, too: I’ve rigged my RS5 with this mast and,
even if I haven’t tested it in the water, this sail seems to
be rigged with just right mast.

The mast in question, as many have already guessed, is
CHALLENGER Performance 550, IMCS 35 – kg. 2,2 as visible
at link:

http://www.challengersails.com/performance.htm

However, what led me to buy CHALLENGER mast, is another
question.

I’ve called CHALLENGER SAILS factory based in Senigalia, Italy,
and I’ve spoken with Mr. CLAUDIO, I think the head sailmaker,
and this gentleman tells me the ”real” story of these blessed X9…

In practice, as other persons have empirically verified (persons
that, as me, are not connected in ANY WAY with CHALLENGER), masts
made with this brand (PERFORMANCE models) are SAME masts produced
by REGLASS for NEIL PRYDE (in 2003 and 2004), this because they are
manufactured on JUST SAME spindle used to make X9, using SAME material,
rings, etc., following JUST SAME technical production processes
obtaining a product with JUST SAME reflex and bend characteristics.

The difference, apart from lenght of 20 cm, is JUST in that
additional layer of carbon fiber that CHALLENGER has specifically
requested and that makes its masts a little bit heavier than X9…
apart from strength issue, this has allowed REGLASS to fully
warrant its products while, for X9, this was not possible.

The think might seem incredible but he tell me this manufacturer
didn’t give any warranty for X9 because REGLASS engineers said
to NP gentlemen clearly: ”This mast of 2 kgs is at limit of its
structural specifications and so, probably, it will broke… if you
want we’ll build it anyway but we can’t give you any warranty
on this product; if it’ll broke it’ll be only a problem of your…”

And so it’s clear recent NP policy in returning broken X9 and
refunding it with a X6 and 300 euros bonus… evidently the
manufacturer has a clear conscience because, when a similar thing
happens, the producer is responsible for himself and is forced to
replace a defective product with another one but just alike.

Anyway, even if it might sound a little bit strange CHALLENGER
tell me a such incredible story without thinking they want to sell
their masts, I think to have too many confirmations about and
that we are not so far from reality.

That’s all; end of incredible (but plausible) story.

At this point, if you want, you can contact CHALLENGER at
following address:

VELERIA CHALLENGER SAILS S.N.C.
Via Fattori, 12
60019 Senigallia (Ancona) – ITALY
Phone 39 071 6609558
Fax 39 071 6609557

e-mail: veleria@challengersails.com

and tell them you want to speak directly with Mr. CLAUDIO
(he speaks english) regarding CHALLENGER masts availability
and X9 issues.

As you can see at Performance 550 web page, its price was very
competitive (about 500 euros) till november 2005; I don’t
know if prices for this product will be different for 2006.

Furthermore, I’ve seen a list of international CHALLENGER dealers
at following link:

http://www.challengersails.com/dealers.htm

I hope all this may be useful for you and it will resolve all
your RS5 and X9 issues.

END OF REPLY ABOUT NP X9 530 ISSUES

—

Original message from Svanvik:

>
> I tried to mail you at the direct link but it seams to be locked again.
>
> Im qurius about the other brand that have the same mast as NP X9 and
> what tests are behind. Would be most thankfull for an answer.
>
> Best regards
>
> Karl-johan Svanvik
> karl-johan.svanvik@semcon.se

[thomme]

Intressant !
Jag kör med X6 mast i min 9,0 men den finns ju bara till 520.
Ingen annan ( ” insatt ” ) som har någon kommentar ?

Är det fler än jag som knäckt nedersta lattan i RS5 ?