The fixed underwater fin on the hull which helps provide stability and
prevents the boat from slipping sideways, usually ballasted, for stability
and lateral resistance.
Note the shape of the fin keel boat. Here the keel itself is relatively
short in comparison to the length of the waterline and the rudder is positioned
well aft of the keel. Some characteristics of this particular design are:
1. Faster in terms of acceleration.
2. Turn Faster - because there is a smaller lateral surface area, a fin keel boat can
spin a circle in about 2/3 the distance of a full keel boat.
3. Points Higher - Due to hydrodynamic properties of the fluid movement across the keel,
a lifting and driving force are being created, which in a sense pulls the
boat closer to the wind.
The fin keel boat is a sportier design and is preferred over full keel
boats for performance racing.
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