The mast failure on Ms Baker’s Cormorant ‘Tessa’ occurred on 22 June 02 in the area of Chichester Bar. I was sailing my own dinghy in that area at about the same time. The southwesterly breeze setting against the ebb was raising choppy seas but conditions were by no means excessive. Liz Baker is a very highly experienced dinghy helmswoman.

I met Ms Baker as she was motoring her boat in with its broken mast and examined the fracture. The fracture was straight across along the line of the gooseneck fitting’s 5" long mounting screws (on the aft side of the mast) and took the line of the grain only on the forward side of the mast. This method of attaching the gooseneck fining seriously weakens the mast which otherwise would no doubt be of adequate strength. If a car was found to have a fault of this magnitude all of that model would be recalled for correction.

I am surprised that a gooseneck is used on this un-stayed mast. Traditional wooden jaws, (or modern fittings on the same lines) on the boom would allow it to swing freely and spill wind if necessary, even on the run. I have sailed in company with Liz Baker’s Cormorant a number of times (the Farne Islands as well as the Solent) and have been increasingly impressed with its seaworthiness as well as its practicality for camping on board. Had the Cormorant light alloy mast and spars I would seriously consider purchasing one myself.

I should mention that before retirement I taught product design at postgraduate level at Imperial College and had been many years in private practice. I am an RNLI Governor and a RYA Yachtmaster with many years of dinghy experience, including ownership of a 12 foot un-stayed mast dinghy.

Incidentally, referring to a previous comparison of the Cormorant with the Mk I Leader, I corrected Liz’s statement that my boat arrived ‘sloshing with spray’, but should in fairness have added that in fact I had lost concentration and dipped the gunwhale!

Len Wingfield

cc. Mangaging Director, Cornish Crabbers