It seems to defy the laws of physics, but wind powered foiling boats like those in the Americas Cup or SailGP can sail faster than the wind. Often more than twice the speed of the wind and sometimes three times the speed of the wind.
This is possible because the sails (or wings) are not pushed by the wind. Energy is generated, the aeronautical wizzes call it “lift”, from the flow of the wind over sails. The lift (energy) generated is related to the speed of the wind, but not limited by the speed of the wind. This has been true since people started sailing, but it was not obvious because there was so much friction between the water and the boat that the resulting speed of the boat never went above the wind speed.
With the introduction of foiling boats that are mostly free from the friction of the water, everything changed. Foiling boats only have that tiny little foil in the water and the rest is flying through the air. With almost no friction, the lift can push the now flying vessel much faster than a boat being dragged through the water.
But that is not all! As the boat speeds up, it also makes more wind. Just like the wind in your face while riding your bike, the motion of the boat through the air makes more wind over the sails, which makes more lift, and makes the boat go even faster. In fact, the biggest new limitation on the speed of foiling boats is friction of the sail through the air! So paradoxically, when foiling you want the smallest sail that is able to get the boat up on the foils.
In the last Americas Cup, the Kiwis were able to get on the foils with smaller sails, and then went faster because their sails created less drag through the air.
I know this doesn’t have much to do with marketing, but it’s Sunday and I’m having fun thinking about it!
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