Hi:

I went out three times recently with winds above 15 knots. My M300 GPS recorded a maximum speed of precisely 17.3 knots each time. I find this odd. I noticed my port rudder throws up a jet of water in the wake at high speed.

I suspect some sort of rudder related hydrodynamics problem is limiting my boat speed to 17.3 knots. I rule out sail trimming or boat handling problems.

Any ideas what my problem might be?

Best Regards

For what it is worth, I find that 17 knots is a very difficult wall to punch through on my Mystere 6.0. I've hit over 22 kts (in the ocean, not flat water at all!) but 17 or 17.5 is definitely the place where it gets very difficult to go much faster.

I've got recorded readings faster than 17 knots, but recordings of sustained speeds of over 17 or 18 knots are rare.

GARY

Hi Garry:

When you hit 22 knots were you surfing?

I checked my rudders today and they looked ok to the pro's at the club.

I'm getting a 260 sq ft gennaker soon and wonder if the additional power may help me get through the 17 knots barrier and onto a surf to greater speeds.

If not, how do Tornadoes do it?

Best Regards,

Pierre Cloutier
M6.0XL Full Fun

Well, I may have been impatient.

The lake was calm and the wind picked up quite a bit around 13:00 today. I went out sailing in a blast with my crew on almost flat waters.

We were trucking at 14-15 knots going to windward and sustained 18.4 knots on a beam reach on the way back.

I got concerned about hardware failure and did not push the boat as hard as I could of (the main was not sheeted in perfect on the way back) but it was great fun.

Pierre Cloutier
M6.0XL Full Fun

For what it's worth, one last comment:

It was blowing 25 ktns today and I went out with two other guys in pitchy 4-5 feet waves.

Going to windward was easy and handling the boat with two gorillas on trapeze was no big deal. Boat speed was nothing to brag about. Hitting the waves kept slowing us down.

On the way back I tried to keep my apparent wind on a beam reach. Sail trimming was good this time. The best crew on board was on the trapeze behind me and the back beam. I was sitting right next to the beam and the other crew was sitting right next to me.

It was a wet ride at 17.8 knts. I saw both hulls jump a wave to land square on the next one a number of times. I saw the leeward bow dive into the next wave and lift out a whole wall of water in a big spray a few times. It was absolutely wild.

In the final analysis, it must be the waves that slow us down and limit our speed.

Pierre Cloutier
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M6.0XL Full Fun

Quote:

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In the final analysis, it must be the waves that slow us down and limit our speed.

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Exactly. What can you do? Wind creates waves!

GARY