Keel and Rudder Design Basics

By
Roland Stockham
-
3
Beneteau First 44. A modern wide stern boat with a deep narrow fin and bulb plus twin rudders. Note the very shallow hulls as well. This design epitomizes the modern fast
Beneteau First 44. A modern wide stern boat with a deep narrow fin and bulb plus twin rudders. Note the very shallow hulls as well. This design epitomizes the modern fast "cruiser" and draws heavily from racing designs. (Photo courtesy of Boats.com)

This is a simple explanation for those new to sailboats about what effect sailboat design has on performance. There are few “bad” boats but having a boat that is the wrong design for the type of sailing you want to do can, and does, put newcomers off the sport.

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Keel and Rudder Design Basics
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Roland Stockham
Roland Stockham
Roland Stockham got his start sailing Olympic-class 470s and Finns in his native England. He started his journey as a voyager crewing for yacht owners sailing to Europe because he was handy at diesel repair. His first cruising boat was a 26-ft. Folkboat with no engine. He lives in British Columbia and sails a 35-ft. Colin Archer design. He is a Royal Yachting Association certified Yacht Master and is qualified to make trans-oceanic deliveries.

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3 COMMENTS

  1. Thanks for the great article, Roland. Very helpful in making a complex topic much more understandable. As someone looking to buy their first cruising boat (used), do you have any other suggested articles or books to read on how design affects performance?

  3. Maybe I missed it. There was no mention of the effects of the fore and aft position/size of the keel, skeg, rudder etc has for a given sail plan on balancing the boat. (ie: ability to sail close-hauled with only a slight leeward rudder angle, thus minimizing drag.)