Re: M_Boats: For the fun of racing fast fans on the list

Doug, I can't explain how it works, but Jerry told me once that the M17 need some serious mast rake and weather helm to really perform to windward (not sure about the M15 or M23). It has something to do with the deep rudder (after being carefully faired) adding some lift. I just played around with the amount of rake and when I found the right amount, the boat really responded. That was the key to going fast to windward, and patience and boat trim were the keys to downwind speed. Sounds simple, but it took me quite awhile to figure it out. John