D-Zero

Originally posted by jeffers Originally posted by washy Originally posted by jeffers Originally posted by Medway Maniac Looks as though it was feeling nice... till those trees got you! The wind was far enough round that they didn't really affect that much and there was a gybe away from them just out of shot. Perhaps a tad too much kicker maybe looking at the leech... Top tell tale is flying at least so apparently not stalled? Leech looks a little hooked though lower down...just something to bear in mind for future. Always hard to see when you are in the boat though.

Don't disagree with that Dan, but it looks to me like you'd end up with an awfully loose upper leach to cure that perceived hook in the lower leach.

No hint of humour Dan so an intriguing statement!  For the drag component of the aero force (normal to chord of sail) to be pulling boat forwards, to my mind that implies that either the sail is sheeted out so that it is forward of the mast (forward quadrant) with flow from luff to leech, or vice-versa I.e. Apparent wind vector in aft quadrant. That is not reaching though? Please put me out of my misery and explain my misunderstanding ;-)

Doh...I meant lift is normal to and drag parallel to chord of sail, but I don't believe that drag is conventionally defined as normal to the apparent wind, hence my confusion about Dan's statement. I'm sure that aerodynamicists could enlighten us :-). Perhaps yachting world uses a different convention from aerospace world?

If it is confusing even you lot, I'll just keep letting the sail out till it isn't quite flapping and the kicker off till it looks about right...