One might think, that because a keel is like an symmetrical wing, which can only produce lift by altering the angle of attack, (as in a sport, aerobatic plane) that the shape of the foil would be irrelevant, aside from possibly reducing drag, which will make your boat faster.....But there is no "high" or "low" lift with a symmetrical wing....just angle of attack. Tommy, One might think... In a message dated 3/17/2008 11:30:33 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
For example, there is a concept called the lift/drag bucket--a high-lift keel profile provides a lot of drag, but might be a worthwhile price to pay if you're trying to achieve the best VMG in light air, because at low speeds the drag doesn't hurt as much and adding lift while minimizing leeward slippage pays off. For higher speeds, a lower-lift profile works better because when the boat is moving faster through the water, you'll get a resultant increase in the actual lift windward and have less drag to worry about--but overall you'll see more leeward slippage. **************It's Tax Time! Get tips, forms, and advice on AOL Money & Finance. (http://money.aol.com/tax?NCID=aolprf00030000000001)
