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SVN Solovelanet Global
T h e q u e s t i o n
Why does a boat from
the 80' s sail better under
power than a
present-day boat?
I
n the 80's, boats had a deeper underbody, espe-
cially forward, and a larger wetted area. This is
why when they were sailing horizontally on the
water under power, their passage on waves was
smooth, because, in fact, those hulls cut and ope-
ned waves in front of the passing boat.
Over time, hulls have been made flatter and flatter, so
much so that in some boats, the extreme forward part is
designed to stay out of the water in horizontal attitude.
This means that, when the boat advances with waves,
she rises on the wave and then falls again slapping the
surface of the sea heavily, but that slapping can be avoi
-
ded if desired.
Modern boats are designed to be flat in a horizontal po-
sition in order to make surfing easier, but as soon as they
tilt a few degrees they become deep hulls with volume
in the water, as it was the case for boats of the past. So,
when sailing under power, we just need to have the boat
list a little bit.If you hoist some mainsail, the boat will cut
through waves once again, and sailing under power will
become smoother and less sharp.We have to keep in
mind that all boats are designed to sail tilted, not upright.
is upright
by Alessandro Gallo
On top, an old Canados 44 sailing under
power. As you can see, the bow dives into
the water and splits it.Here above, a Grand
Soleil 58 proceeding with very little wind
and listing slightly. In this position, her wet-
ted volume increases.This forward volume
is not there when the boat is upright
