On Wed, 22 Sep 2010 13:12:27 -0400, you wrote: Sailboats vary enormously in terms of their favored point of sailing. I would guess that most sailboats do best with the wind on their beam (90 deg.) My boat is best on that point, and I can also sail into the wind to about 28 degrees without pinching, which is exceptionally. Downwind is slow for me, so I often tack downwind, keeping main and gennie filled.
I wonder what race committees will say when a sailor shows up with this rig. Thinking of John's explanation, though, I suppose it will not work as there won't be any torque transmission from the wheels to the prop. Right, John? --- I think so since, even if the prop was coupled to an underwater screw, the coeffiction of friction between the water and the screw would be so much weaker than that between a wheel and the ground that it would be hard to keep the prop from turning the wrong way initially. --- JF
