Manfred Curry's Aero

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  • Paul Pless
    pinko commie tree hugger
    • Oct 2003
    • 124805

    Manfred Curry's Aero

    circa 1920










    Simpler is better, except when complicated looks really cool.
  • Andrew Craig-Bennett
    Who?
    • Aug 1999
    • 28484

    #2
    Re: Manfred Curry's Aero

    One seldom sees a wishbone tiller - the device was rendered obsolete by the tiller extension.
    IMAGINES VEL NON FUERINT

    Comment

    • moTthediesel
      Senior Member
      • Mar 2006
      • 2749

      #3
      Re: Manfred Curry's Aero

      That is HIGH style....

      Comment

      • Figment
        Gluten Enthusiast
        • Dec 2001
        • 13635

        #4
        Re: Manfred Curry's Aero

        People today will buy a car with square wheels as long as the steering wheel is heated.

        Comment

        • Reynard38
          Senior Member
          • Sep 2009
          • 12533

          #5
          Re: Manfred Curry's Aero

          OK I have to ask, what are the appendages beside the rudder?
          Fight Entropy, build a wooden boat!

          Comment

          • osborni
            Member
            • Jan 2006
            • 79

            #6
            Re: Manfred Curry's Aero

            To try and damp down the wake after the hull?

            Comment

            • switters
              S/V Pi
              • Oct 2007
              • 8881

              #7
              Re: Manfred Curry's Aero

              Beuller?

              I was curious also, apparently they were used as a hand brake would be at the start of a race. But I read that on the internet, so who knows.
              Disbelief in magic can force a poor soul into believing in government and business.
              TOM ROBBINS, Even Cowgirls Get the Blues


              Comment

              • Peerie Maa
                Old Grey Inquisitive One
                • Oct 2008
                • 62422

                #8
                Re: Manfred Curry's Aero

                Originally posted by switters
                Beuller?

                I was curious also, apparently they were used as a hand brake would be at the start of a race. But I read that on the internet, so who knows.
                Found this
                the brake, 2 flippers were attached to the rudder, when deployed would stall the boat under full sail, basicly stoping it, good for a start, you did not have to tack to prevent an early start, you just stomped on the break in front of the starting line and let go when the signal came. Same at turning bojes, stomp on the break, turn and release.
                It worked so good that it was outlawed.
                It really is quite difficult to build an ugly wooden boat.

                The power of the web: Anyone can post anything on the web
                The weakness of the web: Anyone can post anything on the web.

                Comment

                • Canoez
                  Did I say that out loud?
                  • Sep 2007
                  • 20611

                  #9
                  Re: Manfred Curry's Aero

                  Originally posted by Andrew Craig-Bennett
                  One seldom sees a wishbone tiller - the device was rendered obsolete by the tiller extension.
                  Maybe so, but as Paul's quote says, "Simpler is better, except when complicated looks really cool."
                  "The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails."
                  -William A. Ward

                  Comment

                  • John B
                    Senior Member
                    • Aug 2000
                    • 31703

                    #10
                    Re: Manfred Curry's Aero

                    An amazing man. I have a copy of yacht racing.20180503_092337.jpg

                    20180503_092559.jpg

                    Comment

                    • Chris249
                      Senior Member
                      • Jun 2013
                      • 3316

                      #11
                      Re: Manfred Curry's Aero

                      Also, sadly, rather flawed. He was heavily into water divining, and claimed to be the originator of "Curry Lines" which are force fields that come from deep within the earth. Reading the accounts of his "discovery" are sobering, for they show his lack of logic. For example, he once went into a house and divined that the Curry Lines crossed another set of force-field lines on a bed. Amazingly (?) enquiries revealed that a women who used to sleep there had cancer years before - OMG, proof that the cancer MUST have been caused by the dangerous intersection between the two sets of "force field" lines.

                      Apparently, if you get a diviner in and they find such a dangerous spot where the Curry Lines cross the other force lines, you can cure the problem by putting a rock over it. So the force fields come up through the magma, the crust, and all the other bits of earth for hundreds of miles and then get apparently deflected by a little rock that someone has put there...... hmmm. Very logical. Not. Someone has also pointed out that it's geometrically impossible for the two sets of lines to cross at 90 degrees everywhere because the earth is round.

                      And yet Curry was definitely a brilliant man in some ways, although I've been unable to trace evidence that his sailing was as successful as he claims. People like Francis Herreshoff and Marchaj were rather damning of him.

                      He's a very interesting figure and quite important in some ways, but to what extent any of his claims can be believed is another matter.

                      Comment

                      • Tom Lathrop
                        Senior Member
                        • Dec 1999
                        • 5305

                        #12
                        Re: Manfred Curry's Aero

                        Devices on either side of the rudder was a braking system. It was quickly ruled illegal by rules makers and never used to any appreciable extent. Its all covered in Manfred's book which was my bible as a beginning racer. I don't get involved in any of this guy versus that guy as I think that all had some valuable tidbits to offer.

                        Nick is correct except for the reason brakes were outlawed. The ability to stop your boat gave you the ability to foul out following boats as well as kill the ability for other racers to judge your future positions. Without the ability to predict future positions of other boats at turning marks or when meeting, its not possible to make good decisions when you are near other boats on the race course. Such dynamic perspectives were my main advantage over many others and without that ability I'd probably never win a race as I'm not a very good athlete.
                        Last edited by Tom Lathrop; 05-02-2018, 06:54 PM.
                        Tom L

                        Comment

                        • John B
                          Senior Member
                          • Aug 2000
                          • 31703

                          #13
                          Re: Manfred Curry's Aero

                          Originally posted by Chris249
                          Also, sadly, rather flawed. He was heavily into water divining, and claimed to be the originator of "Curry Lines" which are force fields that come from deep within the earth. Reading the accounts of his "discovery" are sobering, for they show his lack of logic. For example, he once went into a house and divined that the Curry Lines crossed another set of force-field lines on a bed. Amazingly (?) enquiries revealed that a women who used to sleep there had cancer years before - OMG, proof that the cancer MUST have been caused by the dangerous intersection between the two sets of "force field" lines.

                          Apparently, if you get a diviner in and they find such a dangerous spot where the Curry Lines cross the other force lines, you can cure the problem by putting a rock over it. So the force fields come up through the magma, the crust, and all the other bits of earth for hundreds of miles and then get apparently deflected by a little rock that someone has put there...... hmmm. Very logical. Not. Someone has also pointed out that it's geometrically impossible for the two sets of lines to cross at 90 degrees everywhere because the earth is round.

                          And yet Curry was definitely a brilliant man in some ways, although I've been unable to trace evidence that his sailing was as successful as he claims. People like Francis Herreshoff and Marchaj were rather damning of him.

                          He's a very interesting figure and quite important in some ways, but to what extent any of his claims can be believed is another matter.
                          I didn't know any of that.
                          Do you like the 'wing warping' rudder? and the asymmetrical centre plates for different tacks and straight ahead.

                          Comment

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