Gybing Centreboards

   The experience in the 12 was that the boats with gybing boards tended to foot better when fully powered up in a drag race to windward.  As Graeme describes, there are conditions where the gybing board was very sweet, but in some conditions (I would suggest light) there was no discernable difference.  
Never really noticed problems with interferance with the rudder.  In our case we had a very small rudder on the basis that the centreboard is the primary lifting device and benefits from the endplate that is the hull.

For further reading I consider this to be the seminal work  https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3Zekt2OTzO4VHp0dk5PckhtOFE/view

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davidyacht Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 29 Mar 05 Online Status: Offline Posts: 1345	Post Options Post Reply Quote davidyacht Report Post Quote Reply Topic: Gybing Centreboards Posted: 04 Oct 17 at 3:00pm
	The experience in the 12 was that the boats with gybing boards tended to foot better when fully powered up in a drag race to windward. As Graeme describes, there are conditions where the gybing board was very sweet, but in some conditions (I would suggest light) there was no discernable difference. Never really noticed problems with interferance with the rudder. In our case we had a very small rudder on the basis that the centreboard is the primary lifting device and benefits from the endplate that is the hull. For further reading I consider this to be the seminal work https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3Zekt2OTzO4VHp0dk5PckhtOFE/view
	Happily living in the past

Guests Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Guest Group	Post Options Post Reply Quote Guests Quote Reply Posted: 04 Oct 17 at 2:06pm
	Gybing dagger boards change the aspect of the hull and rig to the wind. The foils still travel through water at the same leeway. Board tend to have a leeway of 3 degrees or so, so gybing the board will keep this leeway, but align the hull with it. The boat will now be pointing in the direction it is going (the foils will still be slipping sideways at the same 3 degrees). So the question is, what is the advantage of lining the hull up with the direction it travels? Well, first people will say less drag and you are no longer forcing the hull through the water at a 4 degree angle. The second reason is it twists the sail plan off the wind, effectively sheeting in 3 degrees more. Kind of like bringing the traveller up to windward and or barber hauling the jib. But crucially, it won't close the slot. That might be nice in conditions when you're trying to build power. But there are drawbacks. Firstly, hulls themselves act like a foil in that they resist side slip. So angling the hull with the line of travel means you'll be faster in straight line but your tacking angle will be greater. The trade off here I would very much imagine depends on how the hull shape works and resists side slip versus it's drag. The other disadvantage is normal foils side slipping are offset, so the rudder is going through clean water. Gybing the centreboard brings the foil in to line and now the rudder is in turbulence of the CB and maybe produce less lift. I think they would feel nice, in that it would always feel like the boat was crabbing up to windward relative to the angle the bow was pointing in. I thin the main gain is being able to sheet in further whilst not closing the slot... but that would be specific to certain boats and conditions. Edited by mozzy - 04 Oct 17 at 2:10pm

iGRF Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 07 Mar 11 Location: Hythe Online Status: Offline Posts: 6496	Post Options Post Reply Quote iGRF Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 04 Oct 17 at 12:43pm
	I put one on a Div2 board in 1981, used it at Rutland, 1st race, rocketed out from the line sailing higher and faster and won by miles sailing in a force, 2, won both races day 1 and thought woa this is it. I'd seen them on 505's a lot of the dinghy crowd I hung out with back then from Racing Sailboats before LDC acquired it, spoke with mixed views about their performance gains, but that day I was convinced. Then day two it upped to 3-4, then 4-5 and I couldn't hold it down, the whole board kept railing up (think heeling in a dinghy but with the rig remaining vertical) then stalling, try as I may even sheeting out as soon as the speed built the lift from the plate overwhelmed my ability to keep the board on track. So dropped the idea, but can see the virtues with the additional weight of a boat, as to how early I only go back as far as 1977 and I first heard about them in 79 from the 505 community. Edited by iGRF - 04 Oct 17 at 12:44pm
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davidyacht Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 29 Mar 05 Online Status: Offline Posts: 1345	Post Options Post Reply Quote davidyacht Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 04 Oct 17 at 12:34pm
	I look forward to iGRF's theories on this one with interest. We used one on an N12, always felt that the benefit was the ability to foot more while acheiving the same height as those around you. The dificult bit is to ensure that the board is not wobbly when it is not "locked" in position, usually acheived by pressure. Malcolm Goodwin's Hornet "Revolution" was probably the boat that raised awareness for the gybing board. Built in 1973. Also renowned for its asymmetry (the boat not the board).
	Happily living in the past

Dougaldog Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Far too distracted from work Joined: 05 Nov 10 Location: hamble Online Status: Offline Posts: 356	Post Options Post Reply Quote Dougaldog Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 04 Oct 17 at 12:17pm
	All, This is nearly associated with 'that' other thread running elsewhere on the forum - but isn't quite. So...gybing centreboards. How far back to they go and when did they first come into practical use (as against just the theory behind their operation) D
	Dougal H