im curious as to why catalina decided to go from a regular shoal keel on the capri 18 to a wing keel design. does it help reduce weather helm or increase upwind performance or stability?
I'm sure it is. I had a wing keel boat once as well, a Beneteau First 235. It was a great sailing boat. But it was not as fast or as weatherly as its fin keeled sister. But I'm sure it would have been much better than a shoal keeled boat of the same draft.On the Capri-18, the wing is fiberglass, and is added to the molded keel stub,(which is filled with lead shoot and resin), and adds no substantial weight. Snake oil or not, still a great performing boat.
Don
don, appreciate your input, i figured it must have been performance. are the wing keels harder to launch i wonderI believe the wing increased performance. My opinion is that the wing keeps the water flow over the keel and helps to prevent the water flow from falling off the bottom. Think of like the wingletts on the newer aircraft. I was amazed how well the boat went to windward with such a shallow draft.
LOVED our Capri-18! Best unknown small sailboat out there. Way over built, don't know why more people haven't discovered them.
Attached is our Capri-18 moored at Two Harbor's on Catalina Island.
Don