Yachting's greatest secret revealed - the winged keel
Collection
Australia II Winged Keel
Secret Keel Business
Credit: WA Museum
For the 1983 challenge designer Ben Lexcen asked the Maritime Research Institute in the Netherlands for help in testing his new keel shapes. Ben, the lateral thinker, turned the conventional keel upside down. Tests proved it to be superior. Then he added wings. Once again tests in the towing tank showed he had achieved a considerable breakthrough.
But would it work on the open water in a race?
MAKE IT YOUR OWN
The story continues.
THERE’S ALWAYS MORE TO DISCOVER
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