Comptip Luff Track

I just bought an H18 SX and have had trouble with the luff rope at the head of the sail coming out of the track on the comptip at the top of the mast when I'm trying to hook the halyard ring (the sail is brand new). The luff track on the comptip is all "plastic". I also have an H18 magnum mast and noticed that the top 12 inches of the track on the comptip is aluminum. Has anyone had this problem? Why are the tracks on the 2 masts different? When I took the SX mast down I noticed that there is a space between the knot tied to the ring and the sheave at the top of the mast when the ring is lined up with the hook. Could the problem be that when the sail gets to the top of the mast the sheave is causing it to pull outward. Maybe I should put a stopper knot in the halyard to prevent the ring from going above the hook? The hook doesn't look like it has been tampered with in any way from it's stock mounting. Thanks, Bob.

The reason for the 12" long aluminum section at the top of the comptip track is to address the exact issue you're having. The bolt rope can pull out of the the top of the plastic track, especially if you pull on a lot of downhaul or mainsheet tension. You can get the 12" track section from your Hobie dealer and it will solve the problem.

sm