Posted: Apr 21, 2017 - 01:31 PM
"I guess less weight on the foils means less drag, t he sailrocket is on foils too and has the speed record. The heel is also reduced, i think by the cosine of the angle "
Yes, less weight on the foils would equate to less drag, but the windward rake also equates to less forward drive. You can't get something for nothing.
Not sure about the heel being reduced. Since the rig is still locked in position and the fulcrum point is still the leeward hull (or leeward foils), there really wouldn't be any change in heel.
The reason (or part of the reason) Sailrocket is able to go so fast is because the fulcrum point is the foils under the pod, which are something like 30 feet to windward of the rig, so they are able to generate a huge amount of power from the rig while generating very little heeling moment.
sm