Posted: Apr 06, 2013 - 10:19 AM
I'm sure it, isn't as simple as a percentage of length. Several other variables must be considered. The boat width for one, the wider the boat the more righting moment you will have so you can put more sail up higher (8.5 ft is normally the max). The anticipated crew weight, again the heavier the crew the more mast you can put on. The weight of the hulls. The sail plan (flat top vs pin top as well as sail area and the amount of roach).
To get around the all that if you are building your own, I would use the rig off of a similar sized cat. If you are modding a cat and want a bigger rig just be aware that if you push it too far you may find your cat to be very very difficult to sail. With my 5.2 I put a huge custom flat top sail on it (essentially the same as extending the mast several feet) and found that I can't solo it anymore. I need a fairly good and beefy crew to keep it down in any wind approaching big. However, when I do get it out it's incredibly fast!
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Dave Bonin
1981 Nacra 5.2 "Lucile"
1986 Nacra 5.7 "Belle"
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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