Leeboards and Centreboards have different advantages and disadvantages.
But Centreboards are more efficient and more N*O*R*M*A*L! :-)
Tim wrote: The beauty of a lee board is that instead of coming to a dead stop the hull does a quick spin around the leeboard when you ground it. It provides what someone (I think it was Phil Keck) called "excitement aboard and amusement ashore." At least this is what I heard happens with a lee board, not that I've actually done it myself.
That's
a nice picture Tim! But we decided it was going to be hard enough
trying to sell Oz Sailors on an all square boat - let along a LEEBOARD!
The
leeboards have some advantages in that way - but when it comes to going
upwind a board in a case - rather than one on the side has a lot less
drag. It doesn't have to be in the centre either - but an
offcentreboard (at Bolger titled them) would really scare the
conservatively minded OZ sailors.
Our aim is to appeal to them
through the performance and lightness for ease of carrying on shore
(not to mention a useful performance boost.
And the other aim is not to scare them with toooo many unusual (to them) features.
This
is all in the context of our sub-class - we don't necessarily want it
to be the ONLY way that boats can be built - just a moderate boat for
class racing