Posted by JimM on July 30, 2002 at 10:39:53:
In Reply to: technical question regarding "speed rails" posted by JakeB. on July 27, 2002 at 09:50:26:
They're normally referred to as "Lift Strakes", and are included, I believe, in most Glen-L V-hull designs. They're triangular in cross-section, and provide sections which seem to be about horizontal. I don't think they funnel water toward the center; rather I think they're designed to get air under the hull to reduce drag.
It might be worth your while to snoop around at a boat yard where there are lots of boats out of the water. Most modern boats have strakes, and you might get a feel for what percentage of the bottom area should be devoted to them. Then scale appropriately to the size of the XP-8.
But before I did the mods, I'd email Glen-L and get some professional advice from their marine architects. If it were mine, I'd be tempted to try it!