High-speed sailing

Author(s)

Wolfgang Püschl

Abstract

This article is to review, for the benefit of university teachers, the most important arguments concerning the theory of sailing, especially regarding its high-speed aspect. The matter presented should be appropriate for students with basic knowledge of physics, such as advanced undergraduate or graduate. It is intended, furthermore, to put recent developments in the art of sailing in the proper historic perspective. We first regard the general geometric and dynamic conditions for steady sailing on a given course and then take a closer look at the high-speed case and its counter-intuitive aspects. A short overview is given on how the aero-hydrodynamic lift force arises, disposing of some wrong but entrenched ideas. The multi-faceted, composite nature of the drag force is expounded, with the special case of wave drag as a phenomenon at the boundary between different media. It is discussed how these various factors have to contribute in order to attain maximum speed. Modern solutions to this optimisation problem are considered, as well as their repercussions on the sport of sailing now and in the future.

Organisation(s)

Dynamics of Condensed Systems

Journal

European Journal of Physics

Volume

39

No. of pages

24

ISSN

0143-0807

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6404/aab982

Publication date

05-2018

Peer reviewed

Yes

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

103001 Aerodynamics

Keywords

Portal url

https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/highspeed-sailing(528a1ab5-420e-433f-bad6-c9000391e963).html