Rudder assembly weights (discussion)

[Tom Elsen]

We sampled 27 rudder assemblies (blade, box and tiller) at the 2003 CCR. Here are the results:

max 81 lb
min 54.4 lb
avg 66.66 lb
std dev 5.74 lb
var 32.9 lb

[Tom Line]

I would say simply set a minimum weight at 50 lbs. That would allow in the minimum weight that we know about.

Being a little more than 3 standard deviations on the low side of the average will include 99.87% of the manufactured population. So there might be one boat out there with a rudder that was manufactured lighter.

That will allow everyone to continue racing without changes, but minimize the amount that optimization freaks can lighten their rudder.

I'd love to lighten my rudder just to make it easier to handle.

[Steve Bowen]

My rudder assembly weighs 52 lb - 25 lb for the blade itself. This is not the original; that one weighed 33 lb but has broken twice in 10 years. The new blade is laminated red cedar/vacuum-bagged epoxy-fiberglass. The shape is identical to the original. The cost (from Phil's Foils) was less than half the going rate for a foam-cored rudder. I'm biased, of course, but concur that ~50 lb ought to be a reasonable minimum weight limit for the assembly.