Bruce in Bangkok wrote in
:

On Sun, 17 Aug 2008 14:50:12 -0400, "Glenn Ashmore"
wrote:

Just reading up on golf ball dimples They evidently create a thin
layer of turbulence that keeps the laminar flow from breaking away
longer reducing the turbulent area behind the ball. Discounting the
Magnus effect because a hull does not (normally) spin, the result is
less drag.

That said, it seems to follow that dimples on the mast would hold the
air flow around it further aft reducing the turbulence on the luff of
the main. Probably not much but then the big racers cut their
toothbrushes in half...
:-)


The guy in the next slip to me is a serious racer, and pretty
successful at it. He talks about "seconds per mile" and I assume that
if a "golf ball" finnish would actually increase speed he would be
spending every Sunday punching dings in his hull.

Since he isn;t I suspect that dimples probably don;t effect the speed
of a boat hull.

However, boats, particularly submarines, operate in very similar
conditions as a competitive swimmer and if the new suits give them a
5% decrease in drag then why not boats? Or perhaps, why them and not
boats?


Bruce-in-Bangkok
(correct Address is bpaige125atgmaildotcom)


Do you think the suits came before the subs - or the subs came before the
suits?