The Science Of Sailing

Part 4 of the "Science of Sailing" addresses the phenomena and drag arising from the air-water interface experienced by sailing craft. The topics that are dealt with are wave causation and its consequences on drag, the properties of regular waves in deep and shallow water, the wave pattern generated by the hull of sailing craft, wave drag, interference of wave systems, running trim and sinkage/rise, breaking waves, spray, wind-generated waves and spectra, motions displayed by sailing yachts, wave-added drag, surfing behaviour, cavitation, and ventilation.

''The Science of Sailing'', met als ondertitel ''A Complete Guide to the Physics of Sailing and the Naval Architecture Governing the Performance of Sailing Yachts'' betreft een serie boeken over de wetenschap van het zeilen en het ontwerp en het gedrag van zeilende vaartuigen. Het eerste deel met als aparte titel '' The Attainable Speed Under Sail'' behandeld, naast veel basiskennis, de snelheid van diverse typen zeilende vaartuigen (voornamelijk kleine en grote zeiljachten). De basis daarvan is een wiskundig model dat de krachten op de zeilen en op de onderwater romp, kiel en roer in rekening brengt.

A groundbreaking technical analysis of yacht design based on cutting edge research in the field of aero-hydrodynamics.

Bryon D Anderson is a writer and scientist with a special interest in sail.

An estimated 4.1 million people in the United States participate in recreational sailing. Yet the large library of sailing literature leaves many of them high and dry. On one side are technical guides for America’s Cup boat-builders; on the other, simplistic books for weekend sailors with little interest in science. In Float Your Boat! professional and amateur boaters alike will find intelligent and understandable answers to such questions as: What were the key innovations that made sailboats more efficient? How do you increase the speed of a boat? How do sailboats travel into the wind? Why are so many explanations of sailing so wrong? Sailing enthusiast and physicist Mark Denny first traces the evolution of the sailing craft, from prehistoric coracles made of animal skins and antlers to the sailboat’s reinvention as a pleasure craft during the Industrial Revolution. He then identifies specific sailing phenomena—how wind drives modern Bermuda sloops, how torque determines stability, why hull speed exists—and provides the key physics principles behind them. Whether you are an inquisitive landlubber who has never set foot in a boat, a casual weekend sailor, or an old salt who lives for the sea, Float Your Boat! is an accessible guide to the physics of sailing.