The sailing world is going foiling mad. Time alone will tell whether it's a good thing or not, but what we can say is that it's fun and fast, and very different in feeling. What is the same for the sailor is that we need to understand a far greater range of sail settings in order to optimise the performances of these boats.
Preparing for Success
Nobody tells you when you're growing up that "winning" and "success" come at a cost. At world level the cost is many times that which anyone outside top sport can imagine. It involves the sacrifice of dedication, not for a month or a year, but four years plus to reach anywhere near potential. The cost... Continue Reading →
Block Heads
Sail shape Over the past 50 years sailing boats have probably evolved more than in the previous several centuries. Drag has been greatly reduced, planing has been understood and rig efficiency and drag has been researched. The wing is in, square head sails the norm, carbon masts are common. Let’s consider some of our own... Continue Reading →
Drag Limits
Hydrofoils and more... In theory a sailing boat can travel infinitely fast. How? The wind generated by forward movement (we know as being a component of apparent wind) continues to increase with speed. With the increase in apparent wind everything changes, and more speed is theoretically possible. We should have video games based on this... Continue Reading →
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