sailing on a traditional proa - flying the outrigger can be a lot of fun !
but doing this all day long - and all
night long for weeks - say in gusty conditions - can get boring
-
too !
and dangerous !
that is why I developed an automatic
system of having the boat do the flying by itself -
with the vectorfin - you have a boat that can be left to itself
in allmost anything -
does the outrigger want to come out - the lower part of the fin - angled toward the inside - will keep it from doing so .....
the boat will allways sail level -
without sails - or stormsails - it will even lean towards the
wind !
and in breaking seas - it will hang itself on the crest of the
wave - and be safe ...........
really now - it amaises me every time I
watch the performance of it up to force 12 gusts -
more I can not tell - because it has not happend yet
............
because the fin has to work in both
directions -
it has to have a radius on both ends -
then starting from this at about 45° -
first a lot - then ever less bending toward the center -
such a blunt profil will have less drag and more lift -
even starting out from a stop -
toward the deck from the wl -
it can become more of a semicircular profile because this part
will be mostly for going through crests -
the thickness of the windward & leeward profile should be
about two to one for enough lift at 0° angle of attack .....