thruster fin physics

[cgoudie1]

My 79 Ltr 2015 thruster OO with wingers, is good from 5.2 to 3.7, but it ain't your
granddaddy's OO. It's 7'9" and pretty wide, and the mast track is back from
where they were in the 90s. For the water state around here, it's a keeper, and
I'll never give up my thrusters., which are both loose, and track well.
Personally, I think pearling is an operator error issue.

-Craig

[dhanson928]

Agreed! Operator Error when I pearl my Open Ocean...

I have a couple of my own shapes, thruster fin, similar to Brian's, but I did put some more "nose" on em, because I LIKE to use my knees forward when carving a jibe...it just feels good. When the swells are tight, I have to remember I'm on my OO and use some more back foot, if I am coming into the trough at a right angle and overtaking the swell ahead....

Every board I've sailed wants a bit of 'adaptation' from the sailor to perform at it's best...The OO can be pearled if I drive it hard into the leading swell...I can get away with that a bit more with a "bonzer nosed" board.

I do find the thruster fins I have on all the boards I sail right now seem to allow me to go upwind better, usually, than many others on the water, and I also seem to get planing pretty easily with smaller sails...

I wish I knew more of the physics...but I've experimented often with thruster placement, size and angle...and it is SO mysterious what makes it work better or worse......too many variables...but that is the fun of it...

[isobars]

[cgoudie1]

No argument there Amigo, life is short, ride what works for ya.

-Craig

[swchandler]

Being an OO sailor since 1992, in my experience it's the rockerline that keeps the nose low. While my first OO was a single facet single fin, and it had a more forward placed mast track popular at the time, my first 8'2" triple facet tri-fin in early 1996 had a more aft placement of the mast track that is more in line with the industry at the time.

In total, I've had 3 8'2"s, and they all perform very much the same, regardless of the increasing stubbier nose over time (Brian said that he changed the nose shape to keep his shapes looking modern). That said, in 2005 I bought a used 2002 7'10" tri-fin that was much narrower (19.5"), and it incorporated a much wavier rockerline. Its maneuverability was much more lively, particularly in Gorge swell. In contrasting the two designs, it was clear that the 8'2" was rockered for more of a bump and jump environment with a flatter tail rocker for good speed in rough water. While the maneuverability factor was still fairly good, you can really discern its flatter rocker in the surf. The 7'10", on the other hand, was much less sticky off the bottom and the top.

In closing, I think that it's important to highlight the fact that Brian makes custom boards, so you can ask for a wavier rockerline that emphasizes turning over speed.

[isobars]

[westender]

When Brian first came to the Gorge, his boards were in the Sailboards Warehouse catalog and we were like,, who's this guy?? I considered Pearling a feather in your cap. It meant you were on such an awesome swell,, you couldn't handle it and stuffed the nose. Good times!! Ride old school!

[WMP]

[westender]

My first OO pearling experience had nothing to do with thrusters. Brian didn't offer them till years later. Sometime before or after you had to have a board with a flip tip to avoid pearling. Which Brian would never do.

[WMP]

Somehow I always think of the wicked witch when I think of pearling.... like the wicked witch is throwing a spell at me.....

"Pearling, pearling, p-e-a-r-l-i-n-g will bring him down"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnMa652dZ5E

Then tow-tow comes to mind and makes everything all better.