Thrudeau Speed Over Ground Graphs (SOG)
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Leetle Cat Centerboard
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SOG: Leetle Cat vs Knockabout vs Twenty
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SOG: Knockabout
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Jane-
Having sailed the “Leetle Cat” on the cruises, I might just “move up”. I believe that this graphed and charted information, indicates that under a skilled skipper, the Knockabout will move across the Blake Sea almost as well at the Little Cat, but with, of course, more creature comforts.
Does this sound correct ?
If you look at the PHRF handicaps, the Leetle Cat is fastest with a 0.75, about 10% faster than a Knockabout (0.69). Both boats are considerably faster than the Trudeau Twenty (0.51-0.56).
The detailed polar curves above provide part of the explanation. The LCat is quicker upwind than either of the other two boats.
Downwind they look the same at first glance. You might even think the knock/ T20 are faster downwind because they get an extra boost when winging the jib (the LCat has no foresail).
The LCat, however, can raise its centerboard to reduce downwind drag; if you compare the numbers, that’s quite a bit more effective than winging sails on the other two boats.
I agree with Tory that when cruising longer distances the 10% loss in speed is not very noticeable. In fact,the increased seating and the inboard engine in the KA and T20 in my opinion make them a better choice than the LCat for cruising and exploring!!