Super Spars and Petticrows team up to set the Dragon Class alight
by Simon Bevan, Super Spars 27 Aug 2018 23:00 NZST
Super Spars Dragon Evolution mast © Super Spars
The 2018 Gold Cup in Finland was the first major event won by sailors using the new Super Spars / Petticrows Evolution Dragon mast. This victory adds to the increasing number of individual race wins achieved by sailors using the newly designed and engineered spar.
The Evolution mast was chosen by African Queen (Jorgen Schönherr) and Provezza Dragon (Andy Beadsworth) who not only finished 1st and 3rd overall in the recent Helsinki Gold Cup but together won 4 out of the 5 races sailed.
The Dragon Gold Cup is one of the most iconic trophies in the history of yachting, it is an unusual series as the sailors must count every race without discard - so requires great boat speed and tactical consistency.
Raced for annually, it is an open competition which regularly attracts top sailors from around the world with this years Championship attracting sailors from 12 different nations.
The Dragon is a one design class where the rules have continually gradually evolved over almost 90 years to consider new building materials, techniques and ideas. This constant refinement creates a vibrant and fiercely competitive class where Olympic medallists, world champions, amateur club sailors and professional racers from 26 countries on 5 continents all race successfully together.
In this environment sailors are very demanding of their equipment, so we are proud that the Petticrows/Super Spars Evolution mast has already been widely noticed and used within the few months that it has been available.
The new Petticrows designed mast is manufactured by Superspars from the highest grade 6082 aluminium alloy with high magnesium content to give the mast the best wind gust responsiveness and tensile strength.
The Evolution mast is enhanced with a technically difficult front taper at the top. The combination of the different aluminium alloy and the new taper has proved to be highly successful on the water.
We have overhauled and modernised the fit out of the mast, so that fittings are light, efficient and aerodynamic within the permitted class rules.
"We always like to constantly evolve the Dragon and felt that the mast needed re-developing" said Tim Tavinor, managing director of Petticrows, "we have found a great solution by partnering with Simon Bevan at Super Spars who has successfully worked through the technical challenges that we face to produce a world beating mast."
"We are delighted with Super Spars/Petticrows Evolution Dragon mast. Technically it is the best Dragon mast we have sailed with, and the results speak for themselves." Said Simon Fry of Provezza Dragon team - the Current World Championship title holders.
Find out more at www.superspars.com