[Rhodes22-list] CenterBoard Angle

Thu Mar 8 16:04:07 EST 2007

Something to try when you have some wide open sailing space and steady 
wind........first read the part of your GPS manual covering VMG. Once you 
understand this head out to open waters and track your VMG sailing towards 
upwind waypoint with board all the way down.  Now slowly raise your board 
and watch changes in VMG. Try this for different points of sails....the 
higher you head into the wind the more you want the board down. At a certain 
point between beating and reaching your VMG will improve with board slightly 
raised. The lighter the wind the wind the less it is needed. As you fall off 
the wind the CB provides more drag than lift. You can actually measure this 
with a GPS.

Wally
>From: Bill Effros <bill at effros.com>
>Reply-To: The Rhodes 22 mail list <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>To: The Rhodes 22 mail list <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] CenterBoard Angle
>Date: Thu, 08 Mar 2007 15:14:42 -0500
>
>Hank,
>
>As I understand racing, this is what it's all about -- the winners are the 
>ones who can consistently correctly factor in enough variables to come in 
>first.
>
>Bill Effros
>
>Hank wrote:
>>John,
>>
>>In theory you are correct, but generally you will not get near enough
>>advantage in speed to counter the extra distance needed to travel due to 
>>the
>>side ward drift.
>>
>>Hank
>>
>>
>>On 3/8/07, john Belanger <jhnblngr at yahoo.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>doesn't the essential arguement come down to the same thing. speed over
>>>the course vs. distance travelled to get to a given point? are you 
>>>getting
>>>there quicker if you cant your bow off a few degrees to windward to
>>>compensate for drift and get an increase in your speed by having the 
>>>board
>>>up ie less wetted surface?
>>>
>>>Hank <hnw555 at gmail.com> wrote:  Lee,
>>>
>>>You may be going faster with the centerboard up, but you will not be
>>>making
>>>better time toward your target due to sideways drift. I big function of
>>>the
>>>centerboard is to prevent the boat from drifting sideways when reaching.
>>>The only time a centerboard is not really needed is when sailing down
>>>wind.
>>>Of course, it doesn't really matter if you are not trying to get to a
>>>specific destination such as when racing. If you don't care about the
>>>drift, then leave it up.
>>>
>>>Hank
>>>
>>>
>>>On 3/8/07, KUHN, LELAND wrote:
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > Bud,
>>> >
>>> > I've only sailed the Rhodes for a year, so I hope I'm not giving you 
>>>bad
>>> > advice.
>>> >
>>> > If I want to point into the wind as much as possible, I'll put the
>>> > centerboard all the way down. I'll also use the traveler and inside
>>> > leads to flatten the sails. I've found that it's rare that I need that
>>> > extra five degrees into the wind to get to where I want to go.
>>> >
>>> > The centerboard can be used as a depth finder, but even with the soft
>>> > mud bottom of the Chesapeake, you never know what you're going to hit.
>>> > At the very least it will knock off your bottom paint.
>>> >
>>> > The centerboard acts as a pivot point, allowing you to make sharper
>>> > turns. Don't really need it for tacking but could come in handy
>>> > motoring around the marina. The boat turns sharp enough for me without
>>> > the board down.
>>> >
>>> > Depending on your point-of-sail, wind, waves, and current; the
>>> > centerboard will help balance the boat and take pressure off the 
>>>tiller.
>>> > I notice this really helps if I have too much sail out. I usually
>>> > adjust the sails to balance the boat.
>>> >
>>> > As a newbie, I constantly check my speed to see what works best in all
>>> > conditions. I have put the board up and down in every condition, and I
>>> > am convinced that the drag from the centerboard will always slow you
>>> > down. In most cases, I believe the centerboard's ability to keep you
>>> > sailing in a straight line doesn't make up for the decrease in speed. 
>>>I
>>> > might be wrong on that last statement.
>>> >
>>> > In my limited experience, the centerboard is a tool that you rarely 
>>>need
>>> > and will slow you down. I guess what surprised me was that most boats
>>> > sail fastest on a close reach, due to the opposing pressures from the
>>> > sails and keel (squeezing a watermelon seed analogy). On a close reach
>>> > with a Rhodes, you will still go faster with the centerboard up.
>>> >
>>> > If it sounds like I know what I'm talking about, reread the first
>>> > sentence. :)
>>> >
>>> > Lee
>>> > 1986 Rhodes22 At Ease
>>> > Crab Alley (Kent Island, MD)
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > -----Original Message-----
>>> > From: Peter Thorn [mailto:pthorn at nc.rr.com]
>>> > Sent: Thursday, March 08, 2007 6:18 AM
>>> > To: The Rhodes 22 mail list
>>> > Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] CenterBoard Angle
>>> >
>>> > Bud,
>>> >
>>> > I'll add my 2 cents, in short: upwind all down, downwind all up.
>>> >
>>> > The Rhodes has a very light, balanced helm. With a large (175) 
>>>headsail
>>> > and
>>> > smaller (not-newer vertical battened) main there can be a tendancy to
>>> > leeward helm in light air. As the boat heels when the breeze picks up
>>> > this
>>> > is mitigated. So with the sailplan center of effort (CE) forward (the
>>> > rig
>>> > described above) the underwater fin's center of lateral resistance
>>> > (CLR),
>>> > which can be adjusted by the centerboard, also needs to be as forward 
>>>as
>>> > possible.
>>> >
>>> > Another of the many advantages to having a centerboard is that you can
>>> > change the CLR while underway by adjusting the board. In heavier air,
>>> > when
>>> > you would expose less area on the headsail going to windward, you can
>>> > balance by raising the centerboard just a little.
>>> >
>>> > PT
>>> >
>>> > ----- Original Message -----
>>> > From: "Mary Lou Troy"
>>> > To: "The Rhodes 22 mail list"
>>> > Sent: Wednesday, March 07, 2007 9:42 PM
>>> > Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] CenterBoard Angle
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > > Bud,
>>> > > I think it's just about vertical. Unless you are sailing in a very
>>> > > weedy area, I don't think having the pennant exposed is a problem.
>>> > > It's just as likely to get fouled by growth in the slot. Our's seems
>>> > > to stay cleaner the more we use it. We always pull the board up at
>>> > > anchor or when we leave the boat in the slip but sailing upwind it 
>>>is
>>> > > always down as far as it will go. As Wally said, as we move off the
>>> > > wind we start pulling the board up.
>>> > >
>>> > > Mary Lou
>>> > > 1991 R22 Fretless
>>> > > Rock Hall, MD
>>> > >
>>> > >
>>> > >
>>> > >
>>> > >
>>> > > At 08:39 PM 3/7/2007, you wrote:
>>> > > >Thanks to all who responded! Mary Lou - when you say all the way
>>> > > >down, you mean the CB is nearly vertical?
>>> > > >Do you run into any problems with the pennant line or sheaves
>>> > > >exposed in that running configuration?
>>> > > >I had thought the sheaves might get "gunked up" if they were 
>>>exposed.
>>> > > >
>>> > > >Thanks again,
>>> > > >Bud
>>> > > >
>>> > > >Mary Lou Troy wrote:
>>> > > >
>>> > > >>Bud,
>>> > > >>Fretless is a 1991. We usually sail with the board all the way
>>> > > >>down. Exceptions are downwind or very shallow water.
>>> > > >>
>>> > > >>Mary Lou
>>> > > >>1991 R22 Fretless
>>> > > >>Rock Hall, MD
>>> > > >>
>>> > > >>At 09:35 PM 3/6/2007, you wrote:
>>> > > >>
>>> > > >>>Rummy,
>>> > > >>> I have a 1990 R22, and I am pretty sure I do not have a 
>>>"diamond"
>>> > board.
>>> > > >>>
>>> > > >>>Thanks,
>>> > > >>>-Bud
>>> > > >>>
>>> > > >>>
>>> > > >>>R22RumRunner at aol.com wrote:
>>> > > >>>
>>> > > >>>>Bud,
>>> > > >>>>It depends on what year and centerboard design you have?
>>> > > >>>>Rummy
>>> > > >>>>
>>>
>>>
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