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"Design Wind" isn't a term I know of that is standard in design. It may have been used in context with something that was trying to be explained. It is not a term we learn in our education process unless I missed that class.
Engineering 101
When you decide to build a boat you have to ask a couple of questions if you expect to sell the thing:
Who is my audience? Don't try to sell a blue water boat to a lake sailor
What kind of conditions does that audience sail in? The winds on a lake or bay are generally less than those coastal and ocean sailors experience.
How many folks does my audience typically have as crew......
the list goes on and on.
Once you answer these questions you come to the realization that your boat is going to be sailed in a range of wind strengths that can be determined. So you DESIGN to that wind strength range. This is what I'd call a design wind. It will dictate the placement of reef lines, mainsail and jib size, etc.
So a bay sailor will have (typically) larger lighter weight sails than a coastal cruiser which will have smaller heavier sails. Sail inventory will factor in but since you don't want to price yourself out of the market, you typically don't provide a production boat with 2 mains, 5 jibs, and 2 spinnakers. You give the buyer one main with reefs to handle the higher end of the design winds and two jibs. Then make the spinnaker an option.
For a 26'er you are probably looking at a design wind of 7-12 knots. You will not have (from the factory) a sail plan for 2-7 knots and will have to reef at 12 knots. Don't use those number as gospel though. I just used them to illustrate the point.
You can answer the questions yourself. Just ask yourself, If I put the stock sails up what wind strengths does the boat "come alive" and at what strength do I have to reef.
When you decide to build a boat you have to ask a couple of questions if you expect to sell the thing:
Who is my audience? Don't try to sell a blue water boat to a lake sailor
What kind of conditions does that audience sail in? The winds on a lake or bay are generally less than those coastal and ocean sailors experience.
How many folks does my audience typically have as crew......
the list goes on and on.
Once you answer these questions you come to the realization that your boat is going to be sailed in a range of wind strengths that can be determined. So you DESIGN to that wind strength range. This is what I'd call a design wind. It will dictate the placement of reef lines, mainsail and jib size, etc.
So a bay sailor will have (typically) larger lighter weight sails than a coastal cruiser which will have smaller heavier sails. Sail inventory will factor in but since you don't want to price yourself out of the market, you typically don't provide a production boat with 2 mains, 5 jibs, and 2 spinnakers. You give the buyer one main with reefs to handle the higher end of the design winds and two jibs. Then make the spinnaker an option.
For a 26'er you are probably looking at a design wind of 7-12 knots. You will not have (from the factory) a sail plan for 2-7 knots and will have to reef at 12 knots. Don't use those number as gospel though. I just used them to illustrate the point.
You can answer the questions yourself. Just ask yourself, If I put the stock sails up what wind strengths does the boat "come alive" and at what strength do I have to reef.
Bill,
I am sorry I misunderstood you. I thought you were asking me what the "design wind" is like it was a common parameter in boat design like the prismatic coefficient or moment of gyradius. Of course I look at local statistics in areas we think the boat will be used most. That is part of the agony in yacht design particurily in production boats that sail in different continents. Just what is the average of the mean? I slide on the conservative side in offshore boats. I did not design the 260 so I do not know what design wind was applied.
I am sorry I misunderstood you. I thought you were asking me what the "design wind" is like it was a common parameter in boat design like the prismatic coefficient or moment of gyradius. Of course I look at local statistics in areas we think the boat will be used most. That is part of the agony in yacht design particurily in production boats that sail in different continents. Just what is the average of the mean? I slide on the conservative side in offshore boats. I did not design the 260 so I do not know what design wind was applied.
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