I'm also with Bob. I race against a C&C34 that has an awful bottom - very rough but he is VERY competitive in PHRF and in his OD fleet. Also race against a guy that had his keel templated by a pro and removed much lead using a power planer last winter. He usually beats us club racing but in 2002, we tied for 1st in a fleet of 12+ boats and had to settle for 2nd in the tie breaker. We keep the bottom smooth - knock down high spots and fill hollows, sand with long board, apply VC17 (freshwater) and burnich with bronze wool. Does it help? Perhaps but most importantly the crew thinks we have the best bottom out there and that translates into a confident crew that allows the skipper to look for shifts.
