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Gary
 
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Default Sailing a sloop with main alone...

DSK wrote:


You're right that an underwater shape with more longitudinal
stability helps a lot. But it's not necessary to get the boat to
"sail itself" to windward or close reaching. On a beam reach or off
the wind, no dice!




Gary wrote:

Longitudinal stability?



Perhaps I should have said "directional stability" sorry, I'm not good
at explaining things.

The tendency of a boat to go straight rather than spin like a top (or
vice versa). Some high performance boats will literally sling the crew
out of the boat if allowed to turn as fast as they want to. Personally,
I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing, but the skipper has to
know the boat's characterisitcs and how to successfuly use them to
advantage... or at least cope...

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

Got it! Thanks.