Sailing World – July-August 2019

Sportboats like the Melges 24,

with its high-aspect keel fin and

rudder, require smooth turns to

prevent stalling and a constant

flow across the foil for speed.

SUMMER 2019 PHOTO: SEA^ AND^ SEE

SW

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Q When I first started sailing

sportboats more than a decade

ago, I was sailing a Melges 24,

and our coach, Vince Brun, said,

“The big difference between

this boat and other keelboats

is the skinny keel.” I quickly

discovered how right he was.

Sportboats love speeding

through the water to increase

flow over the blades, and when

turning, the blades can stall

much easier.

Having said that, the dif-

ference between sailing a

skinny-keel sportboat and a

more traditional keelboat, such

as an Etchells, is not dramatic;

it simply requires tweaking

your style. For example, if you

want to have a great start in

either boat, you line up at a

good build angle, hold straight

until the boat is full speed and

then smoothly carve up to a

close-hauled angle just before

the start. I try to do this in any

sailboat, but if not managed

perfectly in a sportboat, there

will be a higher price to pay.

How much of a price? That’s

diŠcult to quantify, but as we

all know, every little thing mat-

ters—and it all adds up. If you

want to be at the top of the

sportboat fleet, you have to be

mindful of the skinny keel and

the flow of water over that foil.

Leeward mark roundings

embody many of the con-

siderations needed with a

skinny-keel boat. In an Etchells,

you can be turning as you pass

the mark. In fact, you can even

luŽ up a bit, use your momen-

tum and then turn back down

without a ton of speed, and

you’ll create a beautiful lane.

The boat glides, the keel is fat,

and you don’t really stall. Do

that on a Melges 24, Melges

20, or a J/70, and you’ll go side-

ways. Onboard, it might not

FROM THE EXPERTS

BOATSPEEDBY STEVE HUNT

Skinny Keels Need Flow

Modern keels and rudders demand speed in the

straightaways, as well as the turns