I was talking to Paul who was the president of Freedom yachts today and I asked him if he knew of any mast failures due to “natural causes”. He told me that someone skippering a F-45 under power going 6 knots ran into the newport bridge (the fishermans passage for the locals) and the mast flexed back so hard that it bent the bow pulpit up at a 45° angle. The boat stopped dead in its tracks and then bounced backward with the engine still in gear. The mast only had some scratches and nicks and is probably still standing proud today.
Thought id share. 
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I remember that, I think it was during a race at our Freedom Rally.
I also had a bridge problem in my Freedom 30 Coki. Putting the boat away for the winter in Great Bay (NH) with a strong current incoming pushing me toward the bridge just before Great Bay marina. I don’t remember the numbers exactly ( it was in the 80’s) but the bridge height marker said 49 feet and my owners manual stated the 30 Freedom was 47 feet higso I felt confident
until I was too close to the bridge to 180 it. I went about three beams under before I could 180 it but by then I was stuck between the 2nd and third beam, motoring downstream to hold my position. After trying to decide what to do to escape, I gunned the engine and cut to starboard scaling my mast, leaning the boater against the current, tore off the wind vain, but escaped the 3rd beam. Now stuck under the 1st and 2nd beam, after a rest, I repeated the process to port; couldn’t go starboard again because the shore was there. I then motored to quiet waters and looked for butt in an ashtray, sinice I had quit smoking. When the tide reversed and I had the bridge height of 50 feet I motored to the marina.
I tried to call the governor, the mayor, or the President to complain about the faulty bridge marker to no avail. The next morning I got a call from Freedom that I was the only owner who was not contacted about the error in the owners manual on mast hight> Freedom took the mast X rayed
it, fixed the wind vain, etc and reinstalled the mast. Freedom’s customer care was outstanding on all of my 3 Freedom boats. Hey Paul do you remember that one. Dick
I almost hit the interstate 5 bridge over the San Joaquin River in Stockton CA. Got very close then realized the bridge was about two feet low. Fortunately very light current toward the bridge. I can not even imagine being trapped between beams. My brain would have exploded. Compliments on keeping it together and getting out.
This was before I was reading charts on bridge heights. “Hey. It’s a bridge. Looks high enough” was my SOP back then. I am moderately more responsible nowadays.
Amazing mast and partners held up on both boats. Gives one confidence in these rigs.
Yeah i cant imagine hitting a bridge. Scary stuff !