i550class.org

Yesterday I visited Competition Composites (CCI) Shop outside Ottawa Ontario, en route home from judging at the Laser Youth Worlds in Kingston. I stopped by to investigate them as a Canadian source for a mast, given the Canadian dollars slide back to lower values against the US dollar.

CCI have some i550 information on their web page: the principals had originally intended to build an i550 themselves, but business got in the way. They built foils and had a bulb cast for 'their' boat, and had a mast designed, but have yet to build an i550 spar. They are an OEM builder of Melges 20 rudders and build booms and poles for a number of classes (both dinghies and boats with beds), as well as one-offs. They now have a 20 ft autoclave and typically build tubes in female moulds, vacuum-bagged and autoclaved.

After some discussion I agreed to be their launch customer, although I still need to get a deposit cheque in the mail. They will likely build mine, plus their own mast in new, low-production run tooling. I am reluctant to quote my price at this point, because it is clear that they wanted to see this get off the ground, and were prepared to really sharpen their pencils, but .... I have had a quote for a fully fitted out, three piece CTech spar, for about $6K NZL and CCI have quoted me a similar price for a two-piece spar with gooseneck and spreader brackets, with attachment points for hardware machined (but hardware supplied by me), and a CF boom, and a CF sprit tube. So, apples and oranges, but an attractive price. As a comparison, my new Jeff Kent DN spar cost me $3500 CDN by the time I got it to Canada last year.

Delivery is 10-12 weeks after order so it will be a while before I can update, but I likely will be asking a few people about hardware preferences.

I am not sure what this, your quote, translates to in terms of USD, but I can tell you, Kevin of Pipedream fame put together an outrageous deal for 5 of us, with a depressed NZL dollar against a fleetingly strong USD back in the 2010 realm and I got the 25 foot CF mast, a CF boom, a CF prod and a CF prod receiver sleeve for what turned out to be approx 2800 USD. I think it was....maybe less 2600? And that includes delivery to Baltimore via Chicago via Madison WISC, via a Pearson Tritom (I think it was) being delivered from Lake Mich to Annapolis, although I chipped in a handle of Mt Gay to the guy who got the Triton in Annapolis (he was not home but his wife was and VERY attractive, I might say). SO at any rate, a group buy will knock mucho dinero off the cost of a one-off production cost. Best bet is to throw it out to current builders in your area....maybe Velocity Boatworks?

Tim,

As of today's date the Canadian dollar is worth $1.13NZL, and $0.76USD, so import deals are hard to come by after exchange rates. Of course a Dwyer mast would be much cheaper, but I want to go the composite route. $2800 US was an incredible deal if I compare it to current rates for DN masts which are much simpler: something like $2100 US for a finished Ron Sherry mast (wet layup in a female mould with an air bladder) or about $2700 US for a Jeff Kent kit (autoclaved pre-preg tube over an aluminum mandrel, with machining done, but unpainted and with loose hardware).