I want to start by pointing out that the whole VSR2 team has done a stellar job and has demonstrated conclusively that the forces that drive a sailboat can be aligned for roll stability without using ballast and without using any down-force. (Trifoiler achieved roll stability by using down-force, but [...]

I copied a diagram of VSR2 (wing doesn’t show well) and added in the major force arrows that apply. Be aware that these arrows are not correct in terms of scale (length) and some of their locations are guesses, however I believe I’m correct enough for us to learn something about what VSR2 has been [...]

I have been watching Sailrocket’s progress with great interest and there’s no question they have a winner. I fully expect to see them reach 60kt in the near future. Sailrocket has now demonstrated what I first learned with my models and again with my full-sized prototypes, that if you get the forces [...]

I was impressed with VSR2 on its initial outing at Walvis. There were no significant problems (loss of control, crashes, etc.). The design and build team has done a great job. Naturally there was the usual sorting out and tuning, but that appeared to go very well. The craft looked real solid when it [...]

I’ve been following Paul’s blog on Sailrocket’s website and wish I was part of the fun. Note that they have been struggling with low-wind speed performance. This is unfortunately a major problem with high-speed sail craft. The fast sailboards sink if they are not planing and need about 15 knots [...]

I thought I’d provide a bit more info on where the Sailien project has been. So far, all I’ve posted is about 25 years old. The R/C model was videoed in 1986, the early prototypes were from 1988, but have been obsolete since late 1990. What happened?