Basics of Sailboat design

[flyingdutchmen]

I am a student going for a major in industrial design and for the past year have been very lightly playing around with an interesting hull design. I have been sailing for many years and have a basic understanding of the way a sailboat works (which is how i came up with the design) but am unsure about a couple things. I am trying to build a working model. Any help would be much appreciated.

-How does the sail balance on the keel? Does in lean slightly forward like an aircrafts cg. or is it evenly distributed. Also i would of course need the basic formulas.
-Are there any other basic no no's that i have to avoid. I would be trying to make a working r/c model using vacu-form... ty

[Willallison]

Wow - that's quite a question Yann - people can (and like me, do) spend years studying to learn the answers!
I'd suggest you you buy a couple of the better known texts - like Skene's Elements of Yacht Design and one or two of Dave Gerr's books. A little reading will go a long way to answering your questions....

[flyingdutchmen]

i admit i was trying to get quick answers... thank you ill now take the time to go to the library and read up