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Winged Keel
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The keel is a blade underneath a sailing boat that helps to keep the boat upright. Wind pushes againts the sail but water pushes the other way against the keel.
Ben Lexcen an Australian yacht designer longed to build a a world beating 12 meter long racing yacht in the 1980s he spent several months in Holland at a ship testing laboratory. He was experimenting with a new idea , a keel with wings that flew though the water. Lexcent found that yachts could turn much faster and sail a little faster whith his winged keel. It was built into his new yacht Australia II and kept secret.
In 1983 Australia II became the first non-American boat in 132 years to win the America’s Cup Race
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