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There is nothing exotic about the construction of the 29er - no epoxy, no Kevlar, no space age materials - just a standard, proven and tested, fully cored, polyester and fiberglass building method. This has been done because the boat is a youth boat where both cost, and ease of maintenance and repair, are primary considerations. The boat could be built far lighter but the designer chose to "overbuild" the boat in such key areas as gunwhales, cockpit floor, mast step and the mast itself - the lower mast, for example, is the same section as the far more powerful 49er! Sails, the most expensive part of the boat, use a reinforced material that, again, is actually stronger than that of the 49er. This is very important because it is not unusual for a crew member to fall into the sail on a capsize. The centreboard and rudder are both unique, aluminum extrusions. The days of broken trailing edges, sanding and refairing are over.
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