High-Speed Sailing

I'd like to start with some good news. WSSRC secretary, John Reed responded to my email request which asked for posting the wind speed from record runs. He said he would try to incorporate that in future ratifications. An efficiency record is going to take some thought and discussion before anything happens with it. However with the posted boat speed and true wind speed, we will be able to compute a good estimate of the efficiency of the craft.

Do any of you know if there is any way to calculate the true wind speed by using the apparent wind measured on the boat, the boat's speed and possibly other data?

Since we have now broken the 50 knot "barrier", I thought it might be interesting to take a look at the "speed limit" for various types of sailing craft. And once again I'm navigating treacherous waters; likely I'll offend a few sailors, but that's not the intent. Also please note that some of the numbers I'm using I have not verified, but grabbed from a quick search. I hope some of you can supply me with better numbers.

First up: the classic yachts, represented by America's Cup boats. I read at SFGate.com that these yachts can get up to speeds of 20 knots down wind, if so that means they are able to plane them under optimum conditions. Any America's Cup fans that know more about this? Give us a comment.

I read that the C Class Cats can get up to 24 knots.

Trifoiler attained 43 knots (officially).

The windsurfers attained 49 knots (officially).

The kite sailors are at 50 knots (officially).

Any one of the above craft could be made to go faster than listed, with improvements and optimum conditions. However of the above group, I only expect the kite boarders to continue to advance. Yes, while I know the windsurfers can advance, I believe they are maxed out for the most part.

Richard Jenkins gives an excellent discussion of some of the technical problems in getting to 50 knots and a view of what is ahead; I highly recommend it. Use my link "The Greenbird" and read his post "50 knot 'Barrier' Broken."

Hydroptere is close to maxed out, as I stated earlier, limited by their use of weight to balance the boat. They have posted short bursts of 52 knots and they still have a chance to up the record. I'm guessing, but I think if they ran a wing they might be good for 55 knots. (I bet Richard Jenkins could calculate this for us!)

I still think that Macquarie Innovation has a chance to up the record, but again they're close to their limit, also due to using weight for balance. I hope they're back in action soon, as Paul of Sailrocket hinted.

Wotrocket is out of the running until they get the craft under control.

Paravane has a real potential to advance beyond 50, but doesn't appear to be active at this time. I'll have to send Jens an email and find out (thanks Jens for providing a link to my blog on your website).

Sailrocket has the most potential of all the active contenders. Their limit at this point is steering (yaw) control and once they get that perfected, they'll be able to run well beyond 50. Cavitation/ventilation might become problems, but those can be overcome, without changing the basic design of the craft. (Thanks Paul for providing a link to my blog on Sailrocket's website.)

Finally, I was thinking that if the kind of money that gets poured into the America's Cup boats was used to develop high-speed sailing, we would have broken 60 knots some time back and I have no idea how fast we would be going.

Bob