Going to a lighter mast.

[Ian McColgin]

In general a lighter mast is better but there can be interesting exceptions. I have the big Brewer catboat, a Chappaquiddick 25, with a monsterously heavy solid wood mast. Marmalade is wood and I've sailed against a glass Chappy 25. Both boats have been handled by the same yard in the past and it's known that the displacement and general weight distribution of both boats are quite similar. The other has an aluminum mast. In many conditions Marmalade romps past her sister. We finally figured that it was not my sailing, but rather the very strong form stability of these boats. The other responded to any level of cross sea more rapidly while Marmalade's massive stick made for a longer moment and didn't spill the air out of the sails so badly.