Question for you racers or anyone else who cares to respond?
 

I was reading the post the other day about being a throttleman and I got to wondering about some trimming issues.
When you are running a race and you want to keep the nose down which is better, bring the drives down or the planes or both?
Also if you run with the drives up and the planes down do they fight against each other
:confused:

Right or wrong, I've been told that a hull that is balanced properly will perform best in the rough with the drives "neutral" or parallel to the keel and however much tabs are required to fly level over the crests.

Too high, and you stand the chance of getting more air than desired and possibly catching the stern on the next swell which smacks the tail up (tripping) and brings the bow down into the next (stuffing) - yuck.

Here, on the lake, where there are no following swells, trim 'er up and catch the BIG air off Dangerfield's yacht - just be back on the sticks when she comes back in or all of your loose items will end up in the vee berth.

I think that every boat likes to run different. It depends on how the boat fly's, steps, and other issues. My boat (Formula 302 with the drives turning in) does not like a lot of trim at all when in the waves. In fact I can run very little tab in the rough stuff. The race boat that I used to run on likes a lot of trim even in the rough and then moderate it with tabs. We would run them down from full out speed trim however. IE. when it got rougher we did trim the engines down and we would also prop down. See with a race boat you will prop for the conditions. This is not a luxury that most pleasure boaters have.

Jon

BOATGIRL! How be you? Me fine. How's Fla treating you?

many offshore boats will perform differently than the next, and the balance and CG have a lot to do with the attitude of a boat in rough water. In my factory one boat, i was able to run quite level with a nuetral drive postion, and a about 4 ticks of down tab. in my 34 Phanton f2 boat, the boat will take just under nuetral trim when in thr really snotty stuff, such as the first race of key west, 2001. the boat does not need much tab, and it is a consistantly level flying boat. the ART of throttling is one that is largely based on feel ,and familiarity with the boat. The timing becomes almost natural instinct. Experience is the only way to truly gain the skills needed to be a competitive or capable throttleman.

Nick Porter
F2-34