When sailing downwind in light air, I am more or less wrapped around the leeward side of the raised centerboard with my leeward knee and leg folded under me on the deck and my windward leg in the cockpit with the boom at least at 90 degrees to windward (sailing by the lee) and the boat heeled to leeward like everyone around me. This year I have been using a carbon fiber tiller and homemade aluminum tubing tiller extension wrapped with hockey stick tape for the grip.
With the carbon fiber tiller I have noticed a lot more "feedback" and on this point of sail, there's a very slight turbulence felt through the tiller extension. This seems like it's got to slow things down since turbulence is a bad thing and I am sure everyone is going to say "sail differently stupid" but moving the tiller not only changes the direction that the boat is heading (duh..) but also increases the turbulence felt. To flatten the boat would seem to get the majority of the sail area closer to the water's surface where I assume there is less air velocity because of laminar flow, plus no one else is sailing their boat flat either
SO... is this turbulence that I am feeling normal? Any suggestions?
With the carbon fiber tiller I have noticed a lot more "feedback" and on this point of sail, there's a very slight turbulence felt through the tiller extension. This seems like it's got to slow things down since turbulence is a bad thing and I am sure everyone is going to say "sail differently stupid" but moving the tiller not only changes the direction that the boat is heading (duh..) but also increases the turbulence felt. To flatten the boat would seem to get the majority of the sail area closer to the water's surface where I assume there is less air velocity because of laminar flow, plus no one else is sailing their boat flat either
SO... is this turbulence that I am feeling normal? Any suggestions?