High-Speed Sailing

Vessel Name: Sailien
Vessel Make/Model: Experimental/custom
Recent Blog Posts
View All Posts
28 September 2013

The America’s Cup

I watched, with interest, the videos of the 34th America’s Cup. At last we have fast sailboats engaged in a competition that is fun to watch. The virtual images (such as course boundaries, distance grid lines, separation between boats, etc.) overlaid on the real images really helps to keep the race [...]

31 August 2013

100 Knots for Hydroptere?

The latest news from Hydroptere is that they have plans for a 100 knot sailboat. This was posted on 26 Aug 2013, so look for that date at this address. http://hydroptere.com/en/the-news/last-news/

17 November 2012

Aptly named Sailrocket, blasts off!

While yet to be ratified, Sailrocket posted an average speed over 500 meters of 59 knots. I will not be surprised if they increase their record into the 60 knot range during this record attempt.

...
02 January 2012

More drag for VSR2?

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 [...]

...
18 December 2011

My analysis of Sailrocket

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 [...]

23 October 2011

60 is within reach, what’s next?

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 [...]

My spy-in-the-sky

23 November 2008
I visited the ISAF website to see if I could learn anything about the snubbing of kite powered craft. I was unable to find any mention of kites and they don't have a class for kite-boards. I suspect the real deal is that ISAF figures that the kite-boarders are just having too much fun! Naturally this will all change when kite-boarding infiltrates ISAF and changes the view there. How long did it take for windsurfers to be accepted as sailboats?

BTY, Buckminster Fuller said that all innovation occurs in outlaw territory. The idea is that once an area becomes established and accepted broadly, innovation gets stifled by the status quo or even by law (try hot-rodding your "pollution controlled vehicle" in the USA)

Good news, Wotrocket reports that they have repaired the craft and will be sailing again in 2009. I wish I knew more about the craft technically...

The spy-in-the-sky, my brother David, lives near Ivanpah dry lake where Greenbird is set-up to sail after the land record. Today he called and said he flew over Greenbird to see what was happening and that he would drive out there if the wind gets good. He lives at a small private airport and flies the two planes he built.

Bob
Comments

About & Links