Wednesday, April 30, 2014

2.) The Interclub: In Concept


As you can see, the Interclub was conceived as what I would describe as an elegant small tub. It has simple lines and a single sail, making it a "cat rigged" boat. The bow was designed to be "bluff"--which means broad, full, and square--with a sharp entry. At a later point in this blog, I'll address whether that was a good idea.

It may surprise you to learn that racing this boat is a two-person operation, with a skipper who sits in the back and a crew member whose principal job is to apply kinetic energy to help the boat sail better and to raise and lower the pivoting centerboard with the same goal in mind, altering the wetted surface of the board and the balance of the boat in the process. Both members of the two-person team also have many controls at their disposal to adjust the aerodynamics of the boat's principal engine: the sail.  This is not an easy boat to race competitively.  Every movement of the crew, every adjustment to the sails, every tweak of the rudder or centerboard immediately impacts the performance of the boat.  The best teams learn how to coordinate their efforts to be at one with their little ship.

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