Yep, Walter.  The dimples on golf balls allow it to "fly" longer, farther,
etc. and have a backspin. My thought is that your experience with the 12
meter boats could be similar to my experience with the lancair. If you could
keep the boudary layer attached say for a one foot lineal run with a flat
smooth surface or with a roughened surface; I would think that the roughened
surface would offer less overal wetted surface hence less drag.  Does this
make sense? Translats to more speed? and/ or perhaps a potential for a
longer lineal run, chord wise for laminar flow before detachment? Also more
efficiency and you can then reduce wing area, increase wing loading?

Bob Smiley
N94RJ