It didn't break under sailing forces. I went to shunt, which involves going beam on. I had the sails eased and was stationary. The small windward hull went way up in the air on a big wave and crashed back down, the beam cracked where it exits the bigger leeward hull, on the bottom of the beam.

I dropped sail and sat there thinking about what to do. I was crippled and wouldn't be able to sail back into some 18 kn.

Eventually ( being a weekday no one else was out there) I called my beloved and organized a tow from the CG. My ego still hasn't recovered, in 45 years of sailing I've never had to ask for assistance before.

After a bit more wave action the beam broke completely, then it was only a matter of time till the other one went, so I got dragged into Shakespeare rather than go uphill, then had to disassemble Squid and bring her home on a trailer. She's back in the basement while I think about what to replace them with, maybe 4" aluminium tube??

That was going to be my last sail of the season as very soon I will be starting a new day job (don't worry, plenty of time for Crew.org.nz) and it p&^&*%^$%#$ me off for it to end like that.

Good news is it just keeps getting faster, I was flying.