Foiling Modifications to Sailboats

[medicrene]

Hello all,

I just recently watched the AC races in San Francisco. The whole idea of foiling just seems outrageous, but great. Then I just saw a posting online where someone managed to put a foil on a sunfish. This also sounds outrageous and fun. So I was thinking...(and that is where I usually get in trouble).

I should try this modifications on my sailboat and see if I can foil it. I will pull it out this weekend and give it a try. I have some large rolls of carbon fiber that I saved from a project a few years ago. I will just add a wing to the bottom of my keel.

I have a Hudson Force 50 with a full keel. Any suggestions on how much of a wing I will need to make to get this boat to fly like the AC racers?


Name Witheld.

[Jim Cate]

You will not need very much at all, if you add some mind altering drugs to the skipper's diet... he will be flying and the boat will just go along for the ride.

On the off chance that the query was serious, then remove the mind altering drugs from your diet!

Cheers,

Jim

[medicrene]

If you were looking for a serious captain, you have come to the wrong thread.

[atoll]

better off putting crossbeams and hulls on either side and loosing the keel if you want to go faster
.any lift a foil gives you will reduce your waterline lenth and give the vessel a lower theoretical speed on a displacement vessel,and create horrendous drag