One thing I have noticed -- on the matter of small boats moving at ‘speed’ -- whether sail, paddle or row boats is: The fastest boats seem to leave a trail of air bubbles just after a small rise of water moving away from the transom. Now certain boats of clinker design, where the laps go under the boat to the keel show this phenomenon easily. I have witnessed those Pelicans that sail with their weights amidships, placing the bow down -- immersing the false stem -- generating these air bubbles which slip under the bottom of the boat releasing the suck or ‘sticktion’ of the water. Now I'm not speaking to what designer Phil Bolger calls chine vortexes which slow down all hard chine boats, especially when a boat of this type is heeled too far. As Jean says, the trick is to keep the bow down and the Pelican as flat as possible, to achieve and maintain hull speed.
On the matter of the Pacific Pelican the stats in the SBF library file show: LOA 14’ 7”, Bottom Length 13’ 1”, Beam 6’ 7”, Weight (w/ ¼ “ Decks & Sides) 540 Lbs., Total Sail Area 145 Sq. Ft., Freeboard (above WL) 24". These were built by the Bay Boat Co. in E. Palo Alto CA by a fellow named Joe Peeso -- late 70’s, early 80’s(?).
