When sailing, does hiking increase side slip?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Eat4Fun
  • Start date Start date
E

Eat4Fun

Guest
Say I'm sailing beam reach and the boat's at a 45⁰ angle (tilting), and you hike off the side to prevent capsizing, are you creating side slip while doing that since you're increasing the amount of the centerboard in the water?
 
The opposite. The further a mono hull leans the more it will slip, so if you hike out and get the boat flat you will go faster and slip sideways less. In most dinghy classes slip is increasing from 10 degrees of lean - flat is fast as any serious racer will tell you. The sail foils will work better upright in most cases to, as there is more apparent area to the breeze. Centre plates, lee boards and keels work better as the boat goes faster - at rest they do very little and require a flow of water to provide resistance. This is why pointing too high or trying to get moving with the sails over sheeted (in too hard) in light conditions is so hard.
 
the center board is designed to reduce side slip. by allowing the boat to sail at 45 degrees you have lost dagger-board resistance and increased side slip. by hiking you are flattening out the boat and reducing side slip. sailing the boat flatter is also faster.
 
Back
Top