EXPLORING WHERE OTHERS CAN’ T
Southerly’s trade mark variable draft keel enables the
draft to be reduced to as little as 0.84m (3 feet). The
opportunities are endless for accessing and exploring
remote anchorages, harbours and inland waterways
worldwide, without the draft restrictions imposed on
other yachts.
Shallow draft capabilities can save precious time
when entering or leaving locked marinas or even
crossing a shallow bar in some harbour entrances.
When approaching shallow waters, the keel can
simply be raised to avoid grounding, and killing time
for a safe height of tide.
DEEP DRAFT PERFORMANCE WITHOUT COMPROMISE
A key benefit of the variable draft keel is not only
shallow draft opportunities but also enhanced
performance from a deep high aspect ratio keel when
fully lowered.
In practise, the boat is stiffer as a result of the
improved righting moment, therefore carrying her
sail better than other yachts and carving her way
efficiently to windward in a seaway. The keel’s aerofoil
shaped cross section, with weight concentrated at the
tip, is optimised for sailing to windward, allowing you
to point as high as 30° apparent with minimal leeway.
The variable keel geometry allows the keel to be set
at any position between fully raised and lowered,
enabling the keel to be set and optimised according
to your point of sail.
An example of this is having the keel fully raised when
sailing downwind.
