I didn’t want to hijack the toe-in thread...
What are your thoughts about lifting the windward rudder while sailing? Does the lack of drag increase speed or do you lose steering and lift that would negate any
savings
?
This also leads into what about lifting the windward centerboard/dagger... especially when flying a hull... If I am just skimming the water... do I want a board wet?
For around the cans, I certainly lose more time just lifting the rudder than it could save me getting down the course. If it were going to be a really long leg and I felt good about the traction the boat has, yes, I would lift a rudder. However, on the I20 with the old pin-head rudders, lifting a rudder would not usually leave enough traction in the water and I always feel like the one rudder is having to work too hard making it draggy and less efficient.
On my f18, however, I felt like it was reasonable to lift a rudder when mild reaching or going downwind for an extended period (distance racing).
Thanks Jake, always good data...
What is a pin-head rudder?
Nacra (Inter) has gone through three different style rudders in the last four years. The early rudders were very narrow and came to a point - they looked like a
dagger
style knife. They're commonly called the pin-head rudder. The second version was built for about 1.5 years and I call it the
butter knife
because that's what it looks like. The version used in the last couple of years is much wider than both and looks like a clover leaf...I call it the
spade
...but that's my own terminology for them.
Its probably too much agro for round the cans as Jake says.
It is a good idea to practice/train with one rudder up because you have to balance the sails and concentrate much more. Its too easy to sail a badly set up boat by over steering - which is slow!
paul
reaching in a big blow it seems a good idea to lift both daggers about halfway. with less dagger in the water the boat can slide sideways through the water easier making it less for the windward hull to pop up and so makes the boat more controlable
esp. for some of the older nacras with the long, wide, stiff boards.
quite a few owners have had daggers break on them leaving them down in those conditions
What happens when the WW rudder is up and the lee one pops?
The boat behind you moves up one place. <img src=
alt=
/>
I sail 1 rudder up often. on my mystere 5.5 it doesnt seem to be an issue to depower a bit and simply put down a popped up rudder. On my old TheMightyHobie18 it would turn me pretty fast...
I think a lot of it is personal preference. To me, the boat feels a little more responsive with one rudder up and maybe a little less draggy. If your not racing, the speed difference is so small that you're better off just doing what feels better.
For course racing, it's a matter of whether messing with the rudders causes more hassle than gain. On my TheMightyHobie18, I think I can kick up the windward rudder both upwind and downwind if I want and not lose much in the switch. Especially if upwind I know I'm only going to tack one or two times at most. On the H17, there's no way I would mess with the rudders upwind because the risk of blowing a tack is way too high, but downwind I definitely kick one.
sm
savings
This also leads into what about lifting the windward centerboard/dagger...
If you lift both the rudder and the daggerboard on the same hull the boat will naturally sail faster and in circles. This is a handy thing to know when sailing
round the bouys
However, it does require starting on
Port
to be most effective.
Signed
Bubba Gump
You yell
I GOT NOTHIN'!
You yell
I GOT NOTHIN'!
And your crew yells
NOODLE
and over you go