Reply To: Lightningrod

@pastasimon wrote:

The consensus is that rods just encourage the problem and may still fry your rigging! Mind you, with that awesome cockpit tent frame of yours, you have a ready made faraday cage installed, just sit under that and nothing will touch you!

Given that the surface of the GRP will be pretty much covered in damp salt I don't think you can rely on it providing enough isolation to significantly reduce the chances of being struck so I doubt that better grounding of the mast will increase your chances of being struck.

I have found this link:-
http://www.pas.rochester.edu/~cline/ASK%20lightning%20strike/ASK%20accident%20report.htm which shows that significant srtuctural damage occurs to composite structures involved in lightning stikes (gliders in this case)