by S. A. Vincent
A practical article on testing and towing models to determine the bestforms of underwater body. This data should be of interest to every yachtsman
The only sure way of developing the lines of vessels to fulfill all expectations by the amateur is by trial and error. Good judgment is not to be belittled, but even the best of naval architects are not perfect and it is rarely that a design is so fine that it cannot be improved upon. To build a special series of full sized vessels, whether they are motor boats or battleships, each varying slightly in a definite way from the other and so find the best hull form, would be unduly expensive. Fortunately it is possible to build small models at a comparatively moderate cost and from these the exact performance of a full sized vessel can be predicted with mathematical precision. For years, all naval vessels and most merchant vessels, have been designed following extensive model experiments. It is only rarely that yachts or motor boats are designed from such tests and this will be understood when I explain that it costs several hundred dollars for one model to be built and tested.
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