A reanalysis of the towing-tank data for the performance of prismatic planing boats

Abstract

The towing-tank data for model prismatic planing boats have been collected from 23 sources and collated into 15 appropriate groups; 7 of these groups are reasonably systematic in nature while the remaining 8 groups are less systematic. The specific data are the lift and the center of pressure. Regression analysis has been applied to these two quantities and the resulting formulas compared to the predictions of 5 out of 7 previously published semiempirical theories. Finally, the experimental data for the lift and drag have been correlated with the idealized keel-normal pressure force and keel-parallel frictional force. This correlation is shown to be much improved providing one accounts for the fact that the frictional force does not act parallel to the keel of the model, but at a realistic angle to it.