Reducing drag

Posted By: Jake - Cm26 - Portland, OR
Date: 1/15/08 1:37p.m.

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I was at the boat show this weekend and had a discussion about centerboards vs daggerboards. On the safety and security side you have a centerboard that will swing up on impact and a much cheaper fix if anything breaks at all (cable) or a daggerboard that will break if the impact is severe enough (typically designed to break before your hull does). It was the performance argument that really captivated me. The centerboard has more drag as the keel swings down and creates a rather large pocket into which water is really churning and causing all the drag. So my question is could something be done to reduce the drag? Has anyone ever thought of designing some sort of flap that allows the keel to slide into the trunk but then closes off when it is lowered? Maybe we could collaborate on this and see what we come up with. I was thinking of some type of heavy rubber material with a slit in the middle. But I am wondering if the cold water would stiffen it up too much to affectively close up. Anyway...just a thought to try and increase performance.