|"Capt. Neal®" wrote in message

A sailboat that suffers a dismasting simply because one swage lets
go is not a worthy vessel. There should be at least two lower shrouds
per side to hold the mast if and when an upper shroud lets go. This
will allow the mast to survive provided the helmsman is on the ball
and takes action to head the boat up or off to save the mast.

I was of the view that the reason for double lowers was to have a backup
should one of the lowers go. A second lower might have saved our mast last
weekend. It was our lower that went, and the mast folded in the middle,
towards leeward - greater sail area at that height, and failure is more
likely than if an upper shroud goes. If an upper shroud went, then I'd
imagine that it's a fair bet that a single lower could keep working - in
either case, it's down to whether the top half of the mast can take the
force resulting from the lesser sail area at that height.


Racers are more concerned with speed than safety and seamanlike
behavior.

Specious bull****. Racers are more concerned with speed than cruisers. There
is no valid connotation to be drawn from that fact that racers somehow
eschew safety and seamanlike behavoiur for speed. You are asserting an
arbitrary trade-off where there is none. If you disagree, then prove that
such a trade-off exists.


Racers are not real sailors.

Oh! What sort of sailors are they, then? Unreal? Imaginary? Your statement
is meaningless.


Wally