Record Ratified and period extended!
Sat, 20 Dec 08 10:12
The WSSRC have finally ratified our record at 47.36 knots so it's all now official. After making sure that all the little details were exactly right before ratifying it... they went and spelled my name wrong!!! Typical. Anyway, of course the point is that the project has reached the stage where it is setting world records and this is hugely gratifying.
The weather here in Walvis Bay has been pretty average to say the least. We have had North winds and no wind! Today was supposed to be the last day of the record period but we have extended this by another week. After that it will be time to go home. The tides are now all wrong but we will take VESTAS SAILROCKET across the lagoon on the morning tide and simply sit and wait for wind. We will have to wait until after dark to bring it back.
Most of the team members will also be returning to the UK on the 23 rd so once again it will be up to Helena and I to man all the stations. It's pretty frustrating but that's the way it goes. Speed sailing is an impossibly hard program to plan around. Extended periods with nothing happening followed by brief moments of high intensity.
There is wind forecast for the next couple of days but whether we get it or not remains to be seen. We will stay in a state of high readiness. Please just give us one good day like that last one. Let's nail this once and for all!
Cheers, Paul.
foil
Submitted by trikiteran on Fri, 12/26/2008 - 22:21.Bringing the beam back also means bringing the foil back of course, under the middle planing surface, so no change in lateral forces will occur.
Hydroptere will in the end not be a real competition for sailrocket, as good as it may be, it has more limitations in speed and control than the concept of sailrocket. But for now the race is close, and exciting !
Congrats
Submitted by Flemming Rasmussen on Mon, 12/22/2008 - 08:33.Hi Paul and team
First of all: A big congratulation on your current achievement. I have been following your project right from the early stages, and you have definately earned your success with all the hard work and ability to overcome the many set backs, that unevitably will come during a project on the outer bounds of sailing.
I am also curious about how you will handle the beam lift issue ? Obviously moving the beam is not an option, as is is the connecting rod between the lateral forces of the vessel. My (far out) idea could be a controlled flap on the trailing egde of the beam, activated by a small ski placed on a rod somewhere behind the front planning surface, so if the planning surface exits the water, the ski will drop (relatively to the hull) and the activate the flap thus creating downforce. I know earlier projects have been using planing skis to controll foil angles for true foiler boats to keep them at a certain elevation.
Anyway - no doubt in my mind, that you will overcome this problem - otherwise just go for the record as the fasted wind powered airplane in the world ;o))
Regards Flemming
solving the lift problem
Submitted by trikiteran on Sat, 12/20/2008 - 18:37.I'm very curious about how you will solve the lift problem, but to me the only way to do it is to bring the beam back.
By bringing the beam back you bring also weight back so you can bring the pilot more in front without changing the center of gravity so the chances of flipping forward will also not increase.
So, I stick to my old suggestion:
Cut the mainhull in two and create a cockpit in the center with the beam attachment right behind it. Beneath the cockpit you can have a thirth planing surface which is a little lower than the front and the back so the front will at speed lay very loose on the water so it will go over the waves more easily. With three planing surfaces you can also make them narrower.
This way you will have the center of lift behind the center of gravity and most of the weight in the center of the hull. This way you'll be really ready for 60-70 knots and the beam, the wing and most of the hull can remain the same.
It will make sailrocket faster and saver !
But you probably want to get the outright record as soon as possible. Hope you will succeed in this with Sailrocket as it is but after that it may be worth while considering changing Sailrocket after that if you want to really go beyond 50.
Goog luck !