Radical Loop Keel Design

[abdbaseball12]

if you capsize that would be a bitch to flip over

[ShluttyLutty]

@abdbaseball12 you wouldnt need too, the keel would already flip it back over

[philami1]

Too much drag!

[MarcoDRFowler]

Good for barnacles...that Laser doesn't seem 2 b going faster than ordinary ones

[CoonBabble]

p.o.i.n.t.l.e.s.s.

[NealeinMI]

Wondering what advantage they expect to get?

[VoidOnTuesday]

What if you get it tangled up in kelp?

[boltonmerlin]

As they say in the sailing world.... Wank

[capitanplunger]

Fisherman's best friend... quick too pick up crab pots and so on

[mooseoftoose]

Nothing like adding a ton of extra weight to a laser! This is so dumb and pointless. I could see the advantages on an offshore keelboat, but a dinghy is a waste of time. Whats with the ridiculously long tiller extension too??

[platapusduck]

@mooseoftoose Its a racing tiller extension, its so you can sit further up on the boat when beating.

[Mirror65196]

An interesting concept. Notice a fair bit of drag from the extra weight.  Looks good but I would guess not as fast in the lighter stuff. Good luck!

[tincoffin]

If you could move the bulb along the keel to either side of the boat then you would get a real advantage.

[CaMz117]

the only problem i can think of with this design is you cant sail it up to the beach which takes most of the fun out of it

[5FishBoy5]

the laser is not a keelboat, wtf is up with strapping lead to the bottom?

[5FishBoy5]

they should work on designing a fast boat instead of making a good boat slower to look fancy

[stephenslingerland]

Interesting. It might be more easily fouled by crab pots, kelp, etc. though. Good luck with it!

[HowesAero]

It is my concept. This is not an attempt to improve a Laser, the Laser was simply a test vehicle and we fitted a simple fin keel to another Laser for back to back (and test tank) comparison. The end market is cruising yachts and it gives a dynamic righting moment.

[stephenslingerland]

Really cool design. How does the amount of lift generated compare to that of a fin keel? Does it affect the boats pointing ability?

[HowesAero]

For the same pointing ability draft can be reduced by about 20%

[fadgadget61]

is it faster than an standard laser ?

[showponystuart]

he would get more performance from hiking, adding a keel to a dingy is not fast. but i think its a prototype, and i would hop[e for the comparison that the other boat would be exactly the smae except with a conventional keel with the same righting moment as the "prototype"

[5FishBoy5]

NO.

[bentshackle]

Interesting. doesn't that effectively double the leading edge of your fin? and increase drag

What performance improvements have you seen?

[showponystuart]

it would more then double it by the shape, anyways it depends if the are lifting foil sections or what.