AccusedBobcat990
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Why does the Magnus effect on my rotating keel completely cancel drag at 0° apparent wind?
I've been tweaking my 42ft cutter and installed a rotating keel system (model K-2000) hoping to harness the Magnus effect The manuals claim that at zero apparent wind the spinning foil generates a forward thrust that completely negates hull drag, letting the boat glide without any sail power.
I've measured the speedometer and it does seem to pick up a few knots when the keel spins up, even though the sails are furled. Is this really how the Magnus effect works on a keel, or am I misreading the data? Any physics‑savvy sailors out there who can explain why a rotating foil would produce thrust without any angle of attack?
Thanks for the help!