Changing Daggerboard drop length

[Jimmyt]

Did you notice Roger"s instructions for adjusting daggerboard depth while pointing, reaching, and running? I have been doing it all wrong - just getting in enough depth to get the board down and leaving it down all day. I probably won't do anything different, but I find it very interesting.

[sailboatmike]

Did you notice Roger"s instructions for adjusting daggerboard depth while pointing, reaching, and running? I have been doing it all wrong - just getting in enough depth to get the board down and leaving it down all day. I probably won't do anything different, but I find it very interesting.

That's the basics of sailing, the water ballasted Macs can be sailed much like dinghies because the keel / daggerboard adds little if any righting moment, it does make a difference in speed especially in lighter conditions if you reduce the amount of board down as stated, but most of us really can't be bothered.

In 5 or 6 knts of wind I got pretty much a constant 1/4 of a knot of extra boat speed by lifting the board on a reach and run, not earth shattering but thats around 400 meters (440 yards) per hour and in those conditions 400 meters is hard earned distance