"The switch from China to Italica," explains Philip Mackenbrock, Marketing Manager at NeilPryde, "was primarily for economic reasons. Mast production is expensive and you have to invest a lot in development and machinery. Italica does exactly that and we would like to draw on this expertise."
This has also resulted in some changes to the mast range: all new masts are manufactured using the pre-preg process. The carbon fibres are impregnated with resin in advance, which should ensure optimum control over the resin content and distribution in the laminate. Dry spots where no resin can penetrate (the typical weak points of a mast) are to be prevented by this technique. The mast range itself will include two models in the premium segment, the TPX-100 and the SPX-95 (for masts with a standard diameter) and SPX-90 (for masts with a reduced diameter). In the mid-price segment, the SPX-65 rounds off the range; there will no longer be a model with 30 per cent carbon content. According to the manufacturer, the new bending lines should also fit older NeilPryde sails, and NeilPryde also offers a 24-month warranty on all masts from the date of purchase. The warranty can be extended by a further twelve months if the mast is registered on the website within 30 days of purchase.
Info: www.neilpryde.com
Manuel Vogel
Editor surf
