Col Thorne's Radio Sailing Web Site

[Tedd]

This morning I stumbled on Col Thorne's Radio Sailing Technology web site. I'm posting the link here because I was impressed with Thorne's articles on sailboat design, which mostly apply just as much to full-size sailboats as to models. He has clear descriptions of many interesting topics, from hull drag to balancing the boat. Nothing new or revolutionary for anyone who's been in the sport for a while, but his articles are perfect for anyone just starting to learn about sailboats. Most articles are supported by data and calculations that would be of interest even to more knowledgeable and experienced sailors, although the data pertains mainly to model boats, so you have to make some allowances for scale!

 

[jssailem]

An interesting site. I will need to spend more time on it come the winter rains.

 

[justsomeguy]

...you have to make some allowances for scale!

I don't understand why that's necessary. Ever see The Flight of the Phoenix?

 

[Tedd]

I don't understand why that's necessary. Ever see The Flight of the Phoenix?

Actually, dimensional analysis and similitude are fascinating subjects. They're the science of scaling physical phenomena. That's where all this Froude number and hull speed stuff comes from, for example. But that's just the tip of the iceberg. It's used in many fields of engineering. Before computer simulation became practical it was pretty much the only way to study complex phenomena such as fluid dynamics.