A boat with a strongly upturned hull (deep V) rides softer and more comfortably in rough water than one with a flat bottom. A wide variety of keel designs are used to give inflatable boat hulls a V-shape. This starts with the air keel, continues with the folding keel (usually wooden) and ends with the stable fixed hull keel. However, it is not only the keel that is important for sailing comfort, but also the entire floor construction. The stiffer it is, the more stable the boat, which in turn improves its handling characteristics. The most common constructions (see also BOOTE 04/99) are the slatted floor, inlaid floor, airdeck floor and the fixed hull made of aluminium or plastic.
The plastic rigid hull can be found on our Suzumar test boat, which also gives it the name RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat). The Maxxon MX 310, on the other hand, has the softer version, the inflatable floor. But not in the conventional flat shape, but as a V-construction. This is an absolute novelty.
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Ralf Marquard
Deputy Editor in Chief BOOTE
