8.5 with H27 (78) Don And David

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Olivier van Mierlo

Thanks for your comment on this issue. In reply I can tell you that the knotmeter is calibrated on a average speed of 5.5 knots according to the indicated speed on GPS. This was done on a lake with no current what so ever. It is true that the knotmeter will give a different indication on lower and higher speeds but this is a difference of only 0.2 knots. As far as I know my GPS doesn't have a filter wich allows me to give speed indications over a longer period. However its possible to give an average over a certain track, for instance 1 NM. I noticed that on higher speeds the speed indication is more sustain and therefore probably more accurate. In the situation where I reached this 8.5 kn my GPS indicated 10.4 kn. The boat was more or less upright and on a halfwind coarse. Therefor the waterline wasn’t lenghtened for that matter and was probably shortened due to the very salt water. In this area (North Sea) we meet currants up to 6 nots so this can give substantial differances on speedreading. In the U.K. there are currants measured up to 13(!) knots. There might be a substantial calibration error when these speed/currant differances occur and I can't give a modus to equalize this. I think its a matter of multiplying an dividing to achieve an average speed. Maybe you or anyone have a suggestion? Thanks Oliver
 
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David Foster

Sounds good to me

Olivier, it sounds to me like you have a well calibrated speed system. If you keep your speed sensor clean, then the difference between the speedo and the GPS is the current. So it sounds like you were doing 8.5 kts through the water, with a 2 knot following current. John Cherubini II commented that he found 8.5 kts believable in the right conditions - and he is our best design authority. Great sail, wasn't it! The best sustained speed (by GPS, our speedo does not work, and there are minimal currents in Lake Erie) was 7.5. David Lady Lillie
 
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