The Shadow is a smaller boat volume wise to the Stealth, has a smaller sail area and smaller beam and yet in the stronger breeze they were more than capable of matching the F16's upwind.
Well, the shadow is not that much different from the F16's.
13 sq. mtr mainsail
7.5 mtr luff
mast height 8.0 mtr
100 kg ready to sail
4.80 mtr length
2.40 mtr wide
Basically, they are under 10% in all aspects BUT sail area.
However, when going upwind in "the stronger breeze" you don't need 15 sq. mtr. on a 8.5 mtr tall mast as the 1-up F16's do. You are then only downhauling it away, while the righting moments are as good as equal.
So the Shadow performance is not really a suprise to me in this respect.
Wouter
