New boats are wider...

[flaming]

Another consideration in heavy weather and particulaly waves that are 'overtaking' the boat, a broad stern is more likely to be lifted as the wave passes, potentially resulting in broaching (and coming beam-on to waves) or even pitch-poling (sp?). Pinched sterns or even better canoe sterns will tend to part the waves.

I thought pinched sterns came in for a lot of stick in the fastnet inquiry because they weren't boyant enough to be lifted by the wave, so boats were often pooped.

 

[Ubergeekian]

Another consideration in heavy weather and particulaly waves that are 'overtaking' the boat, a broad stern is more likely to be lifted as the wave passes, potentially resulting in broaching (and coming beam-on to waves) or even pitch-poling (sp?). Pinched sterns or even better canoe sterns will tend to part the waves.

That has been my experience in Jumblie - she rides beautifully when waves are coming at her from behind, with very little slewing about. Of course that depends on a boat slow enough to allow waves to overtake ...

 

[bbg]

Interesting, but I fail to see the practical significance of inversion testing a sailing boat without the rig.

That will be only one of the tests the boat has to undergo. Others will probably include things like maximum heel with rig in place and all movable ballast on one side, and recovering from a 90 degree position with all ballast on the "wrong" side. I'm not sure if those are tests for the Class 40, but they(or similar) are tests for other classes.

Also - there is a fair chance that if a boat like that is completely inverted, it will have lost its rig in the process. Maybe not entirely cut away, but no longer with the same righting moment of a full rig with sails. Moreover, there is a slim chance that the sea might not be entirely flat at that moment, which might help the boat recover.

 

[Signed Out]

That has been my experience in Jumblie - she rides beautifully when waves are coming at her from behind, with very little slewing about. Of course that depends on a boat slow enough to allow waves to overtake ...

Which is pretty much what Bernard Moitessier's philosophy was on heavy weather- wheeeee. And Joshua was a canoe stern, like your's.

 

[E39mad]

I thought pinched sterns came in for a lot of stick in the fastnet inquiry because they weren't boyant enough to be lifted by the wave, so boats were often pooped.

Two different design types really - again old IOR designs (such as many used in the '79 Fastnet) of the 1970's were dreadful downwind and broached easily due to "bumps" in the hull making them a pig downwind and usually unable to surf therefore getting "pooped" and cruising yachts with either canoe sterns or narrow ends where there is probably more protection in a much deeper cockpit with higher coamings and an hull that is unrestrained albeit heavier but more directionly stable.