Inadvertant Knockdown

[brackish]

Hey great stuff here.  Reminds me of two things - I need to work on my sailing lingo, and I have no idea what I'm doing out there!

Can someone please tell me what a "foiled" rudder is?  Also, what does it mean to backwind the jib?

Thanks friends!
Chad

The NACA airfoils are airfoil shapes for aircraft wings developed by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA).  Also used for rudders and keels or in any application where flow across a surface is important.  Search the site; a couple of threads where some of the Compac folks have built them to replace flat blade rudders. A good explanation here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NACA_airfoil

When you come about as you bring the bow of the boat into and across the wind you hold tension of the original lee sheet until you see the top of the jib start to backwind.  You then release it let it come across and tension the other sheet to whatever point of sail you intend to be on.  Helps if you are not already on a close reach to sheet in before backwinding as you start across the wind.  This technique tends to help get the tack completed in certain sea and wind conditions where the boat may not want to tack through.  Don't hold the backwind too long or you will oversteer the tack or stall the boat.  Practice makes perfect.

Jett, if you want to know what your headsail is measure from the clew to a point on the luff that is 90 degrees to the luff, i.e. perpendicular to the luff.  Divide that number by your "J" dimension (forestay tack fitting to the mast parallel to the world).  multiply by 100 and that is the percentage overlap.

[JBC]

I agree with Chad...there's plenty to learn here!  I'll give those sail area measuring instructions a try.  BTW, got a kick out of the phrase, "parallel to the world!"  Thanks for the tips.

[brackish]

I agree with Chad...there's plenty to learn here!  I'll give those sail area measuring instructions a try.  BTW, got a kick out of the phrase, "parallel to the world!"  Thanks for the tips.

Meant to convey that you can't measure at an angle or curve because of the cabin trunk.  In the case of the Compac 16 you don't have to, sail plan measurements are available "J" on the original model is 4'-6" and the II model (bowsprit) is 5'-5"