Maybe this is what we will be seeing in NZ for the next Americas Cup. Appears that NZ is going to slow way down and go to monohulls. Not what I was thinking when I was rooting for them to win.
-- dg
NACRA 5.2 #400
This End Up
Original owner since 1975 --
Good question! Depends on whether we're foiling, speed and seagrass density. Note that the foils' vertical struts have negative rake, so anything caught there tends to slide upwards...
If we're foiling, going fast, and the seagrass patch is not too dense, we catch very little, cut some, and the rest slides off quick. If we're foiling slow and/or the patch is very dense, we slow down, stop foiling... swear some.
If we aren't foiling, we catch a ton of it, and requires manual removal, with lots of swearing because of the rake...
That is what i expected
we have sooo much grass in our bay and even gulf ... it has proven to be a foil fowler (we had hobie tri foilers try, and WindRider Rave - all fail
I think the foils, at speed, get to literally cut some of them. The leading edge of the foils isn't a knife, but can cut the skin of your shin if you walk into it, as a friend of mine can attest.
Maybe I'm imagining things -- keeping the boat under control while foiling takes all of my attention, so I'm not looking. In any case, light to moderate seagrass we get through ok when foiling, and clears out quick.
cool
i was lifting rudders and boards all day yesterday
was dreaming of a system that actually runs a razor up and down the board to quickly clear them....