How fast does your 260 go??

[trevor cuell]

speed

this year in race from melbourne to geelong 42 nm.the winds were blowing 40 knots and the temp was 44c .i was surfing 3m swells.we would get up there and stay on a swell for 5 minutes.got my 260 up to 11.4 knots surfing we did this until we got a wind shift that spun us around like a top.it was pucker time then.i have this on video if anyone wants to see it i will try and diditize it .regardstrevorrock lobster

 

[Ron Mehringer]

c'mon Phil

This message thread has been a friendly exchange of ideas and experiences. No need to call people ignorant.My degree is in mechanical engineering and I understand the concept of hull speed. I've taken classes in fluid dynamics. I've run the calculations. Perhaps that's why it surprised me so when my boat broad reached at such high speed. Others here testify to the same experience.Since the h26 has no keel, just a cb, I'd venture to guess that in the right conditions (rare) it begins to plane. Just a theory.Ron Mehringerh26 Hydro-Therapy

 

[David Foster]

Exceeding hull speed

Hull speed is defined as the speed where the length of the wave on the hull caused by the boat's motion equals the boat's waterline length (LWL). If the boat is driven beyond its hull speed, the wave gets deeper, instead of longer. The boat feels like it is sinking (or sitting down.)As the wave builds up in front of (and behind) the boat, it becomes harder and harder to increase its speed - but not impossible.So speeds of 1 to 3 knots above hull speed can be sustained without planing. (We've sailed Lady Lillie 1-2 knots above hull speed for hours in great reaching winds.) So pushing the boat beyond hull speed just takes more and more power for each additional fraction of a knot. Planing is the other possibility. Essentially, the boat is riding on the water, rather than immersed in it. Modern racing hulls have flatter bottoms (the Cal 40 was an early example), and lighter weight to promote planing. I doubt our 7,000 lb h27 with a round hull does much planing. But I planed our Sunfish for sustained periods at over 15 knots versus her hull speed of 4.9 knots in gale force winds in the seaplane basin north of Key West.So I believe the accounts of 7 to 8 knots in strong winds. Quite a thrill! Although the sails and boat are converting more power at high speeds, you can still balance a boat, and maintain excellent control in my experience. The only difference is that if you screw up, things move faster and harder, reflecting the higher power in the system.DavidLady Lillie