211 BASE
PATENT DESIGN
Advantages over 1-bolt mast foot systems
No unwanted detachment of the mast base from the mast track (significantly increased safety)
No over-tightening of the mast foot required
No more jammed mast foot that has to be loosened with a tool
No more searching for the optimal position again and again
Weight only approx. 260 g instead of 350 g and more...
Low overall height of only approx. 69mm instead of approx. 85mm and more...
Fork can be attached higher thereby more sailing power
Clean design
No sharp edges or annoying levers
Internal safety leash (R3 joint with aramid tendon)
Can also be used like 1-bolt mast foot systems! Then less than 230gr!
Advantages compared to 2-bolt mast foot systems
No protruding mast base plate
More than one mast foot position adjustable
Weight only approx. 260 g. Instead of about 350gr and more...
Low overall height of only approx. 69mm instead of approx. 85mm and more...
Fork can be attached higher thereby more sailing power
Cost savings with 3 boards of approx. 80 €
Clean design
Internal safety leash (R3 joint with aramid tendon)
Idea
As so often, the idea comes from the problems or negative experiences that you inevitably go through in your windsurfing career. As a beginner, you usually choose the cheaper option, which usually has a 1- Bolt mast base system is. The functional principle is always the same, namely guide the sliding block into the mast rail and tighten the mast base. But how tight actually? And where again? If the mast foot is tightened too much, you will have to use a hammer to dismantle it, if it is too loose, it will come loose while driving, so that in the worst case the board and sail will separate. In addition to the difficulty of finding the correct torque, the incorrectly positioned mast foot forces you back onto the beach. All problems that you don't necessarily want to have in the surf. Of course there are still the 2-bolt mast foot systems, which also have their disadvantages. On the one hand there is the bulky plate, which can remain on the board, on the other hand of course the significantly higher price of approx. 90 € per mast foot and another 30 € per additional mast foot plate. The more complex construction not only costs, but also weighs more. In addition to the price and the higher weight, the system also results in a higher design of approx. 85 mm. Not all that satisfactory, which is why I thought that there could be a better way and that the functional principle of dividing the acting forces would also work well here, as with the ATW 277. The result is a combination of both systems, i.e. a kind of 2 in 1 bolt mast foot system without the aforementioned disadvantages.
What's new?
With the 211 base, the acting forces were simply broken down. Conventional 1-bolt systems function via a non-positive transmission of forces. The tighter the mast foot is tightened, the more securely it sits. In principle, the 211 Base works the same way, but has been expanded so that the horizontal force component is absorbed by a firmly screwed sliding block like a 2-bolt mast foot system. The only difference is that no mast base plate is screwed onto the board, but the screw connection takes place in the mast rail. The last degree of freedom, namely torsion, is prevented by locking pins that grip the mast rail. The problem of previous 1-bolt mast feet slipping within the mast rail is thus reliably prevented. Due to the construction, this results in immense advantages in terms of performance, design and functionality.
Why a rubber joint?
The 211 base is coming with a rubber joint. The decisive factors here are the material and the geometry. Many surfers don't think about this at all, but the choice of joint is still crucial. So why not use a tendon or cardan joint? The answer to this depends on the application. My favorite spot is the wave. In connection with this, it also goes over one or the other ramp. When landing, strong forces act on the base of the mast, which are noticeably dampened by a rubber joint. If, on the other hand, a cardan joint is used, the damping effect is zero. A tendon joint, on the other hand, has a much smaller cross section, so that the material has to be much harder compared to the rubber joint, so that the damping is also much worse here than with the rubber joint. The advantage of tendon joints lies in the low overall height, which allows the surfer to hit the boom higher. The overall height of the 211 base is comparable to that of Tendon mast feet. The cardan joint is particularly suitable for training because it enables the board and sail to be connected without any effort.
Why the low height?
Tendon joints are mainly used in the performance area. The lower overall height of up to 20 millimeters compared to conventional mast foot systems with rubber joints allows the surfer to hit the boom higher, which reduces the flex in the top. The lever arm of the mast above the boom is therefore reduced, which physically means that it becomes stiffer. The sail thus opens less and thus generates more power, which means higher performance is possible. A low mast foot means better planing performance and higher speeds. With a height of approx. 69 mm, the 211 base is only approx. 6 mm above the supposedly lowest Tendon mast base of approx. 63 mm. However, with the difference that the significantly better damping properties of a rubber joint.
Where is the safety line?
I find this external strap to be ugly and bothersome as well as making it difficult to identify damage to the rubber joint. Of course, the fact that damage is difficult to detect also reduces safety, which is why I laid the safety line in the core of the rubber joint. The so-called neutral fiber runs through the core area of a component. The neutral axis of a component is the area where the stress due to a bending moment is zero. A hollow core is therefore statically unproblematic. However, if the outer jacket has even a slight tear, the entire cross-section is at high risk of breaking. If you look at a cotton swab with a plastic shaft, for example, this shaft is usually hollow and yet it does not kink that easily. But if you notch this shaft only slightly and bend the rod in such a way that the notch is stretched, the rod will break even under the slightest stress. Therefore, before each session, bend the joint in all directions to check whether there are cracks or the material is porous and replace the joint if necessary.
Europin
The Europin used is of course turned from one piece with an M10- thread. As a result, the pin is more resilient than with two-part M8 Europin threads and there is one less adhesive point that can come loose. The Europin and the threaded pin are glued with a high-strength screw lock.
Material
The plastic parts of the 211 base are injection molded from heavy-duty PA6 (nylon).
Available colors: Black (white and neon yellow expected to be available from January)
Metal parts made of S316 stainless steel (V4A)
Area of application
Due to the rubber joint, the 211-Base is particularly suitable when it is choppy or when there is a lot of jumping and harder blows have to be absorbed. In choppy water, the rubber joint acts like a suspension fork on a bicycle, smoothing out bumps. Due to the extremely low overall height, the system does not need to hide from a performance-oriented Tendon mast base. High speeds are achieved with a good balance between power and control. The 211-Base offers the required power through its low height and makes it controllable with its cushioned rubber joint. Accordingly, the 211-Base is equally suitable for use in waves and in shallow water. Only in training operations would I give preference to a mast base with a cardan joint because it is much easier to use.
Set up
The mast foot system comes with a double sliding block as standard. This is fixed in the mast rail using the supplied grub screw. The mast rail of a series board is made of glass fiber reinforced polyamide and is therefore extremely resilient. The fixation is therefore harmless. However, with custom boards, self-made mast rails of unknown load capacity can also be installed. If you are not sure, ask the respective manufacturer. The system can be expanded with any number of sliding blocks, so that the perfect trim is saved permanently.
Installation
1. Insert and position the double sliding block in the mast rail.
(Several sliding blocks can be fixed in the mast rail)
2. Place the washer over the free thread of the double sliding block
3. Screwing the mast base into the free thread of the double sliding block. Make sure the holes are centered over the mast rail.
4. Attaching the fuse cover.
The locking pins prevent the cover from detaching from the base.
The uninstallation runs in reverse order. To loosen the fuse cover, put your fingers in the mast rail under the cover and loosen the cover with a rocking motion.
Alternatively:
The 211 Base can also be used like any other 1-bolt mast base. To do this, simply guide the sliding block into the mast rail and turn the mast foot until it is tight. In this case, fixing the grub screw and the cover could be dispensed with. The weight of the 211 base is then less than 230 g and offers easier adjustment if you are unsure about the optimal setup. However, such a use is accompanied by the aforementioned disadvantages of every 1-bolt mast foot!
