Acquisition of structural loads acting on the mast of a 420 during sailing

Aim of the work was the design, calibration and installation of an instrumented mast and standing rigging system on a 420 sailboat for the dynamic measurement of structural loads during sailing. By means of several calibrated strain gauge bridges, the bending moments in the planes at seven significant sections along the mast, together with the axial load on the mast and the pulling of standing rigging were measured. The resulting bending moment diagrams were plotted along the mast and shall allow designers to improve the mast’s cross section profile or material selection. Moreover, the accurate knowledge of loads acting on the standing rigging and on the mast-step will support the optimized design of the boat shell.