Marc Jacobi 2017 RS Aero Worlds

Watch 2017 World champion Marc Jacobi (USA) in race #13 of the 2017 RS Aero Worlds in Carnac (Britanny, France).

RS Aero - No Speed Hum

Have you noticed that there is no speed hum with an Aero?

This is Peter Barton's reply to one of my recent questions about the RS Aero.  Peter looks after the RS Aero out of the UK, and usually manages to get back to me over night. There is a 10 hour time difference between Australia and the UK.  

This time I was following up an question posted in this blog from the Tijuana Taxi.

Tijuana TaxiMay 20, 2017 at 9:06 PM

Great Blog Nick, well done on 2nd at the Nat's as well. One thing you didn't mention about the foils was the trailing edge, the designers have made this a mitre. When I first test sailed one I thought this had been filed to remove some dings, but on receiving my own boat the mitred edges were still present. I am pretty sure RS have not made mention of this in previous literature but my thoughts are by creating a laminar flow away from the rudder, cavitation is avoided and the boat steers even more effectively downwind than the Laser. I would be interested in your or anyone else's thoughts on this.

Hi Nick, Yes, that looked wrong to me initially too! I checked with Alex at RS who confirmed that the main reason is to stop/reduce the humming of the foils, it allows a cleaner re-attachment of flow, otherwise you get cavitation down the trailing edge which can cause the humming sound.

Peter

Have you noticed that there is no speed hum with an Aero?

I tried to take a photo of the edge of my Aero centre boat, but my iPhone camera could not get it the edge in  focus, so here a shot of an Aero board next to an ageing Laser board.  Apart from having a clever trailing edge, they simply look so much nicer.  And there is no rattle or hum.

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Steve Cockerill joins the RS Aero class

RS Aero Class Facebook posted last week news that Steve and Sarah Cockerel have joined the RS Aero Class.

Steve has notched up some 50 odd singe handed championship titles over a variety of classes. 

Follow Aero news from around the world   facebook.com/groups/rsaeroclass/

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Laser vs Aero Roll Tack

The Laser block to block rig makes the boom very low and you really have to find a way to duck under the boom when tacking.  For many of us masters roll taking is out of the question, we just can't get under the boom in the correct way.  Here are two video with instructions on roll taking.  The RS Aero has much more room, so no excuses now.

Both videos slow the action down.

The Laser's five basic design flaws

When you compare the 2013 designed RS Aero with the 1969 designed Laser it is easy now to see the Laser's five basic design flaws.

Three are due to the technology and materials limitations of the day, namely the Laser hull weight, the Laser hull shape and foils.

But why did designers, Bruce Kirby and Ian Bruce, chose a sail plan that required block to block sheeting at the transom?

Setting a low boom  also required a cockpit inset into the boat so low it cannot self drain. Centre sheeting and self draining cockpits were common in Moth designs in the 1960's and its hard to explain why the Laser ended up with such a poor configuration.

The Laser was unlucky to end up with a hull weight of 59kg as just 5 years later Ian Bruce and Frank Bethwaite produced the 68kg (fully rigged) Taser using Fiberglass sandwich foam. This substantially larger boat two person boat carries 11.5m2 sail and planes upwind.

In 2013 RS produced the Aero with a hull weight of 30kg

The Kirby's foresight was the was the unstayed mast that simply slotted into a hole in the deck. Comprised of two pieces aluminium tubing it made easy work of rigging, storage and transport. The approach now perfected further by the Aero and the WASZP.

Images:

1.  Bruce Kirby's doodle on a yellow legal pad. The tear sheet from this pad later became what we called the “million dollar doodle.”

2. 1960's Australian Moth with centre sheeting and self draining cockpit

3.  The WASZP with no stays, good when dismounting at 20 knots.


Read more about the history of the Laser design in Kirby's own words.
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Laser vs Aero Rig

The RS Aero is easier to sail, faster upwind and more stable downwind than the Laser. It is not just the Aero's hull shape and light weight, the modern rig is simply superior.

The RS Aero has a distinctive squatter sail shape compared to Laser's tall pin head rig, or roached sail.

Read more about it in the tab above 'Square Top Rig' and the Tillerman's 'Fatheads and Pinheads' post.

The Aero's skinny and light carbon composite top section

 



























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Comparing Downwind Stability - Laser and RS Aero

The fear of capsizing in fresh winds and high seas takes the fun out of dinghy sailing and for club sailors limits the range of winds that we prepared to sail in. Even if we are not that competitive it is better to be going around the course in one piece than watching from the shore.

The Laser dinghy is notoriously unstable downwind in more than 15 knots and terrifying in 25. The death roll is the most common way to wipe out caused by gusts pushing too much sail in front of the mast.  It also happens when sailors loose their balance on an unstable hull.

Last week I competed in the RS Aero Australian Nationals at the Black Rock Yacht Club. The venue is renown for creating some of the best sailors in Australia due to the tough conditions on Port Philip Bay.  And it stayed in character all weekend with winds up to 20 knots kicking up big seas.

In a Laser I would have come back to the club after the first race and a number of out of control death rolls. But on my new RS Aero I managed to finish all six races and win two, made possible because I could choose to sail conservatively down wind, stay upright and finish.

Sitting back, flat and stable in 20 knots

It proved to me that he Aero is simply a far more stable platform in strong wind which I put down to these factors.

1. The Aero hull shape adds stability being wide and flat at the back of the boat.

2. The Aero rig can take more vang downwind than a Laser,  keeping the sail behind the mast.

3. The Aero rudder is deeper in the water and actually works to steer the boat, allowing more control to keep the boat under the rig.

4. Being light weight, the Aero gets up on a plane in the gusts, goes faster, reducing the apparent wind pressure on the rig. The extra speed also gives more stability.

With a second place in the Aero 7 Aus Nationals, the take away for me is I can sail now in 'fresh to frightening' conditions and I can work on being less conservative down wind with confidence in the stability of the boat.

Brian Close Australian National Champion pushing the limits, me ultra conservative

Aero v Laser - wide and flat, the Aero has stability down wind and a fast planning hull on reaches.