Power boats with hydrodynamic lifting devices

A power boat comprising a V-bottom hull having a stern, a keel, a pair of topsides and a pair of bottom surfaces which rise laterally from said keel to where the bottom surfaces join the topsides;

• and lifting plane means adapted to improve the lifting capability of the forward wetted area of the hull and to substantially eliminate the aft wetted area during planing, said lifting plane means comprising:
• a pair of lifting planes secured to said hull on opposite sides of said keel;
• said lifting planes having inboard edges which are connected to the bottom surfaces of the hull at lines oriented generally alongside the keel, and having upper and lower surfaces which during planing extend at acute angles relative to the bottom surfaces, said lifting planes having a span substantially reaching to where the bottom surfaces join the topsides;
• said lifting planes having trailing edges which are spaced well forwardly of said stern, so that a substantial amount of bottom surface area exists rearwardly of said trailing edges;
• said lifting planes having leading edges which are swept back such that said edges generally are oriented in parallel with the forward contact lines of said V-bottom hull and water at incipient planing on calm water, and said leading edges being positioned to lead the forward boundaries of the water spray from the keel during planing, throughout their full extent, so as to prevent water attachment to the bottom surfaces of the hull both above and substantially aft of said lifting planes;
• and
• said lifting planes having a longitudinal location relative to the hull such that the resulting lifting force of said lifting planes at planing speeds acts adjacent to the center of gravity of the boat.