Charlies repair reminds me of this episode. I think in the Eggemoggin Reach Regatta, Suzanna, a local ketch built in Venice Italy years ago, lost her main mast. Must have been a sight from the cockpit!

But why? Racing puts maximum stresses on a rig. My expert rigging friend, Tom, points out what he thinks was the weak link in the cascade of the dismasting. The spreader socket area. Reinforced with epoxy around the fasteners, but failed just outside. Wood a little thin? Not the best spreader socket design? Hmmm,.... At any rate, that area is one that I pay close attention to on my spruce rig.

Fear not though! Wooden spars are rare in some places, but not around here. Suzanna was dismasted in August, they fit her new spar in November. Notice the spreader bases are a tad thicker and there is no taper immediately outside the socket.