I have a problem with my chipstow carbon stick. The mast track apears to have gone soft, this means that the main sail is constanly pulling out of the track. Not so great for winning races!

I have two options for sorting this out:

1) Spend an evening afterwork or a lunchtime in the sail loft and put the biggest possible bolt rope on the sails and hope it solves the problem.

2) Try and fix the problem with some glass/carbon and some epoxy. I think I would cut the glass/carbon (can't remember what carbon i have at the moment) to a strip 50mm ish wide and laminate this over the track for its full length, then cover is in peel ply and let it cure. Remove peel ply and cut new slot in track carefully using my dremel. then i'd sand and paint it to finnish the job.

Will this work?? All opinions and advice welcome, I'd like to be on the water on sunday so would need to start the mast repair tonight.

Why not give Alan Jackson a shout, I'm sure he will tell you what you need.

01268 710111

Whatever you do don't put a thicker bolt rope on, this will just exaserbate the problem further and the track will get wider and wider.

Best bet is take it to Jacko, Phil Scott, Laurie etc and ask them to re-inforce the track around where it is pulling out, i.e. tack, top batten and head.

If it is pulling out at the batten it could be that the batten pocket end (plastic thing) is too close to the track. Sounds like you have a access to a sail loft so you can do that adjustment.

If it is pulling out from the base, then that can be solved by an accurate tie to the mast - how are you tying it to the mast? The best way is to make up a loop of 3mm dymera or spectra or what ever and put a bobble on it, then you can set it up and it is always the same each time.

If it is pulling out in the middle when you have a lot of bend on an a lot of cunningham on (i.e. Force 5/6) then you probably have got a real track problem. Don't sail in a F5/6 or get a heavier crew and use so much cunningham/bend

Sounds like i just need to beef the track up a little near the head and top batten then as thats where it usually pulls out. Yes I work for  Alverbanks.

How do most people secure the tack of the main?  My boat came with a bid of three strand rope with an eye and a bobble which raped round the mast below the lowers bracket.  This finally wore through (after a year) last weekend and we sailed for 1 hour in a F4-5 without a problem with the sail just secured by the mast track.  Perhaps Supaspar do tougher tracks than Alan? :-)

Anyway I've got to replace it for tomorrow so what do people normally do?  By the way the bit of string always used to pull the sail down the mast until I put some cunningham tension on

I had the same problem, and Alan Jackson fixed it whilst I waited, thus saving an extra trip into the wilds of Essex. If the problem is more severe however, it could take longer.

Another hint (for heavy weather only) is to put an extra tie through the cunningham hole.

The problem is that the track flexes as the mast bends. Superspars don't seem to do it, the newer ones have a metal track which explains why.

Yes an interesting idea about having a 2nd strap 6 inches or so up from the tack, running through side of cunningham point. Matt set this up on 3665 using some velcro which slides up & down the mast freely. I have kept it on as seems like a really good idea! Doesn't get in the way of the pole 'D ring' on my mast, but I guess could on some depending where it is located.

I'm going to beef up the bottom 3-4 inches of the track anyway as still have a small crack on it. If it goes during the Champs is a pain! It's a simple enough job to do.

We solved the problem by tying a loop around the mast (using the cunningham eye) it does not have to be very tight so it does not affect the sail shape, worked every time.

Nothing new under the sun!!  On 111 Secret Water I had the sail pull out of the track on the wooden mast and solved it in exactly the same way as you suggest without recourse to large scale repair.