[quote=Edchris177][quote] They are angled a small amount aft (ball leaned aft, bottom of rod forward), perhaps 10º or less. Makes sense with mast rake.[/quote]
Yes, the entire idea behind the V-strap is to create an engineered truss, much stronger than a 4" beam could supply. The load still tries to bend the truss,(creating tension on the bottom of the tube & V-strap & compression on the beam top), but the strength now approaches that of using a beam with a diameter equal to the length of the DS rod. A 14" beam would achieve the required strength, but would be difficult to mate with the hulls, & probably weigh more than the truss.
The Mast ball serves as a means to connect the mast to the truss & transfer the vertical loads to the DS rod, & thereby to the truss.
The truss is strongest when the load is vertically through the DS rod, & weakens as the loads move away from vertical. The extreme would be a horizontal load,(mast falling), failure would occur at the load required to bend the DS, or tear the hull fittings/straps loose.<!-- editby --><em>Edited by Edchris177 on Dec 01, 2014 - 03:29 PM.</em><!-- end editby --> [/quote]
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