Racing with a wood daggerboard

Geophizz

Geophizz

Member
I've recently started racing. I've rigged the boat with a new racing sail, ratchet block, new lines and a sanded and polished hull, and refinished wood daggerboard and rudder. I'm getting great starts, but by the first mark I've noticed that I can hold my own, and generally beat racers with wood daggerboards, but I am getting my posterior kicked by guys with the plastic boards.

I've noticed two things:
1. They guys with plastic daggerboards seem to be able to point about 5-10 degrees higher than me upwind. When I try to match them I stall out.
2. The plastic daggerboard guys are generally more serious and knowledgeable about racing.

My question is this: Does the plastic racing daggerboard actually make that much of a difference, or is it more of a function of us wood daggerboard guys just not knowing what we are doing?

My real question is this: Should I buy a plastic daggerboard, or work on my technique?
 
Why can't you just create a daggerboard out of wood from scratch, but take a technical approach with it.

Going to the NACA airfoil numbers, couldn't anyone determine the ideal airfoil, "ellipse," for their uses, and make the board from wood, body putty, and an exterior layer of epoxy, etc...

Does a daggerboard really need the reinforcing bars inside? What difference would it make if the interior of the board is wood, as long as the exterior is smooth glass epoxy? Water won't know the difference...

Would the handmade approach be race illegal...I wouldn't doubt it...
 
dbob3d said:
Would the handmade approach be race illegal...I wouldn't doubt it...
Click to expand...

Yes, totally illegal.

In answer to the original question, the plastic daggerboards make a huge difference, which is what you are seeing. You need to get one to have any hope of keeping up with those who have them. BB
 
A little historical footnote. The Sunfish has had three wood daggerboard shapes, the original design with straight sides and a spoon shaped tip, a tapered design called the Shadow design, and the Barrington, straight sides and flat angled tip. Racers often had several boards for different conditions, and re-shaping boards made the class less one- design. The plastic board was a huge improvement and made all the wood boards obsolete. Borrow one for a few races and you will see the difference.

Sorry, but you are not going to run with the Big Dogs with a wood board.

Alan Glos
Cazenovia, NY
 
beldar boathead said:
In answer to the original question, the plastic daggerboards make a huge difference, which is what you are seeing.
Click to expand...
. . . and here's why ... 4" longer and a true foil shape.

4678278559_4f340cb487.jpg


dbob3d said:
Would the handmade approach be race illegal...I wouldn't doubt it...
Click to expand...
Here's the rule book...

.
 
Thanks for the advice. If I upgrade, I want to stay class legal, plus I want to keep all of my fingers, so making one is off the menu. Another item for my xmas list.
 
You should contact Alan Glos (see his post) to see if he has a refurbished foam board.

Anyway, you are doing well with your wooden board. Working on your technique won't hurt either in the long run...
 
The extra 4 inches in the composite board means there is a lot more area and thus a lot more lateral resistance. So, on the beat there will be less side slipping than with the wood board.

You may be pointing as high as the others (angle of the boat relative to the wind), but it will feel like they are out pointing you because are slipping sideways. In other words your actual path will not be as high with the wood board.

The sail and the board are the two essential racing upgrades.
 
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