jimi
Well-known member
Anybody seen it? [How] does it work?
Strange cat at East Cowes
- Thread starter jimi
- Start date
Rob_Webb
Active member
Is it the one with the solid foil sails and the strange variety of sponsorship logos over it e.g. Virgin and Baxters Soup?!
If so, I believe they simply rotate the foils to present the correct angle to the wind, regardless of the course the boat is on, in order to create drive. The foils look like vertical aircraft wings, and basically generate the same lift force. But instead of using this force to lift an aircraft off the ground, they are using it to drive a boat through the water.
In that sense, they work on the same principal as conventional (soft) sails although the actual trimming of them is probably a bit different - but I've never sailed on a foil boat and would be interested to hear from anyone who has!
If so, I believe they simply rotate the foils to present the correct angle to the wind, regardless of the course the boat is on, in order to create drive. The foils look like vertical aircraft wings, and basically generate the same lift force. But instead of using this force to lift an aircraft off the ground, they are using it to drive a boat through the water.
In that sense, they work on the same principal as conventional (soft) sails although the actual trimming of them is probably a bit different - but I've never sailed on a foil boat and would be interested to hear from anyone who has!
jimi
Well-known member
Yes thats the one. I also thought that it must have a fair amount of weight aloft. Likewise I would be intrigued by any sailing experience on it
Rob_Webb
Active member
I expect that, like and aircraft wing, the foils are constructed in a cunning way that makes them suprisingly light and strong (and most certainly hollow). I imagine that compared to the weight of a conventional rig there might not be much in it as I seem to remember the masts were unstayed, for one thing - saving on the weight on standing rigging. But I suppose if it was a bit heavier, the extra stability of a cat would be the ideal choice of platform.
jimi
Well-known member
I also wondered if & how surface area could be increased or reduced to suit wind conditions & if the curvature is adjustable. Must be a bugger to berth though with all that windage.
kgi
New member
Being a couple of thousand miles away i wont be able to see it, there not practical but incredibly powerful, normally fitted with leading edge slats, fences and the like, some of them even articulate in the fore and aft plane so you can change the camber, i know windjet on the web have done over a hundred down a runway in twenty five knots an
kgi
New member
Being a couple of thousand miles away i wont be able to see it, there not practical but incredibly powerful, normally fitted with leading edge slats, fences and the like, some of them even articulate in the fore and aft plane so you can change the camber, i know windjet on the web have done over a hundred down a runway in twenty five knots and the are in the process of building a boat could this be it? check out the web site at windjet and see for yourself..........keith
Rob_Webb
Active member
Don't foget that they can pivot the foils freely through 360 degrees, so they can set them in line with the wind (like a flag) as they berth to produce minimal windage - although I agree it's still bound to be a bit more than conventional bare poles!
bigmart
New member
The thing was berthed at Gunwharfe (Portsmouth) for a while. I heard tales of20-30 Knots in light winds. The whole thing sounds great but i don't fancy strong wind & big seas in it.
Twister_Ken
Well-known member
Col
New member
The one I saw at Gunwharf ( unless there was more than one ) was different from the one at East Cowes, The foils were taller thinner and tapered, bit like a solid sail. The one at E Cowes, looks like someone has crashed a biplane into it!
http://www.arweb.co.uk/argallery/album02/
http://www.arweb.co.uk/argallery/album02/
Chris_Robb
Well-known member
Re: Another one in Plymouth
The one in plymouth has a huge windmill simlilar to the land wind turbines. Newver seen ot working though
The one in plymouth has a huge windmill simlilar to the land wind turbines. Newver seen ot working though
Jaguar
New member
A mate of mine who sits behind me has been out on it a couple of times. Apparently, the sails (wings) are controlled by a computer for the optimum angle of attack. They have had a few glitches with the automatic controls so have had to control it manually at times. I believe the boat is set up for a wheelchair bound person to be able to 'drive'. Pretty cool.
G
Guest
Guest
Hi
http://www.lusas.com/case/composite/wingsail.html
Regards
Fred
Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you.
http://www.lusas.com/case/composite/wingsail.html
Regards
Fred
Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you.
jimi
Well-known member
It looks as if all that can be changed is the angle of attack rather than any camber, do'nt you think?
Jaguar
New member
It is difficult to see how such an arrangement could be as efficient as a modern bermudan rigged sail with the capability to adjust the postion and depth of the cord and also the amount of 'twist'. Without the ability to adjust 'twist', a rigid wing will always be onto a looser compared to a sail that can be adjusted for varying angles of apparent wind vs height up the mast.
I have heard of some large merchant ships using such arangements to augment their deisel engines, but i don't know how efficient they are. Could do with an engineer with experience of sail airodynamics commenting here.
I have heard of some large merchant ships using such arangements to augment their deisel engines, but i don't know how efficient they are. Could do with an engineer with experience of sail airodynamics commenting here.
kgi
New member
I know on the hard sail boat like yellow pages thtop half of the wing can be adjusted independentlyof the lower half, and with leading edge slats and fences the air really sticks to the wing. its ugly but effecient....keith