I'll be eager to hear more about the db. I extended a Barrington board by about 14 inches, sanded it more into a foil shape and glassed the final result.
A little more effort yanking it out when beaching, and I could find the bottom easier. Didn't really notice an improvement.
The current rudder is slab-sided and not foil shaped. I am sure there is improvement to be had with the rudder. a
How will you measure the performance difference between a Sunfish with the racing board and current rudder vs your version? If one is night and day better than the other it should be apparent, but if that isn’t the case how will you tell if there is a difference? I’d be curious about the difference also with just your new rudder and with just your new board vs a boat with the racing board and normal rudder.
What is the whole point of "improvement" here? You can't race with "improved" foils, and going a few per cent faster by yourself is pretty meaningless. I understand it if the goal is to make the boat more comfortable or easier to handle, but just "performance" for the sake of... what? Is going across the lake a few seconds faster enough of a motive?
If it’s fun to do, why not? On the other hand if the objective is to commercialize the product and make money, then it’s not a good idea.Ahem... devil's advocate here again
What is the whole point of "improvement" here? You can't race with "improved" foils, and going a few per cent faster by yourself is pretty meaningless. I understand it if the goal is to make the boat more comfortable or easier to handle, but just "performance" for the sake of... what? Is going across the lake a few seconds faster enough of a motive?
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Why do people climb mountains? It is an engineering challenge, and I like that. The current foils also have a lot of drag during maneuvering and I hope to quicken tacks. I doubt many people would want to sail with the original dagger board - the FRP ones are nice, but could be better. 2/3rds of all Sunfish owners are recreational boaters, I understand, but we too like going fast.
It is, if the other boat is a Laser.
On our lake, anyone can race any sailboat and in any condition. No One Design events here. Most sailboat owners are recreational sailors, but that does not mean that they do not like to see how well they do against others. Sort of like street drag racing. Welcome to the South, y'all!Ahem... devil's advocate here again
What is the whole point of "improvement" here? You can't race with "improved" foils, and going a few per cent faster by yourself is pretty meaningless. I understand it if the goal is to make the boat more comfortable or easier to handle, but just "performance" for the sake of... what? Is going across the lake a few seconds faster enough of a motive?
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Hi Kent. You may be interested in my efforts to build an improved rudder for my 1971 Sunfish. The thread is here: Making new style rudder for old style boat .
It was a fun project, but I've never been able to determine if it's made a measurable performance difference. I think it's better, but I don't race the boat, and there are no other Sunfish where I usually sail. Sure looks cool though.
I hope you find my thread helpful. Good luck!
You'll eventually hit the problem of the daggerboard slot
being too narrow for the NACA airfoil most commonly used
for keels. Find a way around this and you may have a shot
at something better. Remember that the optimum L/D ratio
varies with the hydrodynamic speed so it's always a compromise.
X-Plane uses Blade Analysis so perhaps components could be
modeled using that program.
Regarding staying in the class rules. If you race the parts have to be approved for use. This can take years.
Are the ISCA leaders interested in new designs for racing?Yes, I am in touch with leaders in the US ISCA organization and appreciate why this is necessary for One Design boats. My local sailing club races all boats at one time and has a handicapping system. One Design rules do not apply.
Are the ISCA leaders interested in new designs for racing?
Also, handicapping of small boats is typically based on the Portsmouth handicap system. How does your local club do the handicapping?
Thanks for the great comments! Forums like this are a terrific means to gain ideas, even when one question sometimes generates conflicting opinions.The Sunfish is a Single Manufacturer One-Design, which means that all major parts (including foils) come from the builder, at least indirectly. You can't take your own designs to the class association to be "approved" - they won't and can't do that.
One-design rules do apply to to handicap racing if you want to race with a standard rating. Any "improvement" should change your handicap number. (If not, there's something wrong with the system, or it's run incompetently.)
8.8 % isn't "far below" the optimum. The Laser centreboard is about 8.5 % and I have never heard anyone consider it too thin. Some classes like the Finn and the Lightning have nearly-flat plates that are 8 millimetres thick, and doing just fine. 9 - 10 percent might theoretically be "better", but as I understand it, the current Sunfish centreboard is very close to "good enough". The rudder may be another story.
If you want to "quicken" your tacks, get some coaching and practice. Beats anything you can do to your foils
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I wouldn't use one if I was given one.I've seen the clear sails before too...and had read about them, with the guys experimenting. I'd buy one of those sails, just because they look nice!....if it was under $500!
How do I hit like more than once?It is, if the other boat is a Laser.
Misegades, pronounced mees-eh-GOD-ess.
Joop Sloop is a Dutch name, and I have no idea.Jope Slope?
I wouldn't use one if I was given one.
Here, there are too many speedboats who can't see islands!