Simple Simon wrote:
snip
It is better to have more weight aft when daysailing and
impromptu racing. The next time a boat is on a beat
and close-hauled with full crew sitting on the sides note
that the crew sits toward the aft center of the vessel on
the windward side.

Back in the day when I raced (foredeck since I was skinny and strong
sigh those days are gone), the deck meat was on the rail just aft of
amidships because that was where the beam was greatest and therefore the
leverage of their weight greatest.

That said, keeping weight off the bow IS important to wringing speed out
of the boat. Bouyancy forward is generally less--often much less--than
aft, so the increase in draft for additional unit weight forward is
greater than aft. I vaguely remember integrating each section in a body
plan back in school to generate TPI curves for my junior project. Glad I
don't have to do that anymore.

There is a small craft committee of SNAME (Society of Naval Architects
and Marine Engineers) that sponsors technical symposia and publications
that go into great detail on the issues.

regards,

Dave
Webb Institute, 1982 B.S. Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering