Monday, October 05, 2009

Sailrocket vs. Hydroptère, the quest for the world speed sailing record

The Vestas Sailrocket begins its quest for the outright world speed sailing record, currently held by the French Hydroptère team. Their target is 51.36 knots (that's 94 kph) average speed over a 500 m stretch. The Sailrocket, brainchild of Vestas engineer Malcolm Barnsley, has an ingenious design that balances the aerodynamic force against the hydrodynamic force and eliminates the capsizing moment. If they can prove the concept, this could have major implications for wind-powered travel. To keep up to date with the record attempt visit www.sailrocket.com. And if you want to know exactly how the Sailrocket works, right down to the vector addition, then watch out for science.TV's super-geeky sequel.

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