On 2008-11-09 15:10:11 -0500, "Roger Long" said:

"Wilbur Hubbard" wrote

It's very easy to figure out why it broke ten foot above deck. Wind the
damned sail up and that's where the clue and sheets end up. Any rocking
and rolling of the boat creates a stress point right there. Stainless
steel work hardens and crystallizes when bent back and forth.

This quite a plausible proposition on the face of it. I don't put much
tension on my sheets when stowing and this is probably a good reason to
continue that practice. I rely on either multiple rolls and/or a sail tie.

I've never heard of a headstay failure at this point though. Has anyone
else?

How often is he going to furl the genny with tensioned sheets on a
"race" around the world? Most likely, he's been using that sail a lot,
hasn't furled it much. If he's furled it, he'll have been using the
Yankee so not tensioned the Genny sheets.

IF it's 10' up, I suspect there is/was a joint there. (or MFG defect)

IF, as a magazine report says, it was at the chainplate, I suspect the
cotter pin keeper first, a high-percentage cause of masts going down.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-à-Deux -- Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD
Xan's pages: http://web.mac.com/jerelull/iWeb/Xan/
Our BVI trips & tips: http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/