SAIL - April 2015

PHOTOS BY JOHN PAYNE (TOP); COURTESY OF NEB (ABOVE)

Tech Talk

Rudder

Nodules

O

ne of the coolest new

builds to emerge

from a boat shed in

years is Rambler 88, a Juan

Kouyoumdjian-designed

all-out monohull monster

that was completed by New

England Boatworks, in Ports-

mouth, Rhode Island, this

past winter. While Rambler

88 brims with bleeding-edge

design concepts, her rudders,

which carry nodules on their

lower leading edges—much

like those seen on humpback

whales’ fins—caught our

eye at SAIL, so we called the

world’s foremost foil expert to

find out more.

“I believe the nodules do two things, one that has been proven, one

that has not,” says Paul Bieker, one of Oracle Team USA’s core design-

ers and a principal at Bieker Boats in Seattle, which has successfully

employed nodules on some designs. “The proven effect is an increase of

the maximum lift angle of attack, i.e. a more gradual stall. The non-

proven effect is the rotating turbulence from the tubercules creating

‘fences’ along the suction side of the foil [on boats with a single rud-

der], which may delay ventilation.”

Since Rambler 88 carries twin rudders, says Bieker, the primary ben-

efit here is a boat that’s a touch more forgiving on the helm, albeit at a

price. “There’s a small drag penalty at normal sailing angles of attack,”

Bieker says. “For this reason, I don’t expect nodules to proliferate in

grand prix sailing.” Time will tell how they serve Rambler 88.—DS

Rambler 88

under sail

in moderate

conditions

One of the ‘nobby’ rudders exposed

during the boat’s christening

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