Fin or Wing Keel

[JBCatalina22]

I'm looking to upgrade from my Cat Capri 22 fin keel tall rig to a 315 and wanted to know if anyone had any strong opinions on the fin vs wing keel. I know the draft is more but in terms of performance or speed?

Thanks,
Justin

 

[tahomathundr]

Justin, I have a fin keel C309 and the waters I sail in are up to 900ft deep so most boats in the Seattle area have fin keels for the better speed potential. Also there is less chance of getting caught on crab pot lines, shrimp pot lines, kelp etc. with the fin. If you sail in fairly shallow waters like Florida and other parts of the east coast then the wing is the only way to go. Also remember that the skill of the skipper can make the difference in any head to head race between wing vs fin speed contest. I think you will enjoy the upgrade from the C22 to the C315 Bob

 

[Stu Jackson]

...but in terms of performance or speed?

The general consensus over the years has been:

speed - no difference

performance - depends on what you're doing: cruising, none; racing, slight upwind penalty, very slight

 

[JK_Boston_Catalina310]

Don't forget resale. Depending on your area you may get a big hit on the resale price. When we were looking at 310s, the wings were going for $65-70K while the only fin in the area was going for $55K and had been on the market 2-3 times longer than all the wings. On the west coast this is probably not the case, but it was true in New England.

 

[Jackdaw]

The general consensus over the years has been:

speed - no difference

performance - depends on what you're doing: cruising, none; racing, slight upwind penalty, very slight

In 99% of sailboats, deep fin models displace less than the shoal/wing models. They have to to have the same CG point. I'm guessing the 315 will be the same. The difference is normally around 500 lbs in a boat that size. In light airs, that will effect speed.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Jack's right, the wing keels are heavier. Check the specs.

IMHO, though, by the time you end up adding gear that difference becomes much less in the overall scheme of things.