Sailing Physics Archives

Tag Archive for: Sailing Physics

How does heeling angle create airfoil shape?

April 6, 2017/by Grant Headifen

A student asked this question “How does heeling angle create an airfoil shape in the sails”. He was using SeaTalks nanoforum that we have on every page of our sailing courses. So my first thought was Huh? What the heck is he talking about? Then I remembered that I wrote that. So it must be right, right? […]

Apparent Wind Speed vs True Wind Speed

July 8, 2014/by Grant Headifen

How to Understand True vs Apparent Wind Here is our latest wind animation built using html5 technology so that it works on computers and mobile devices. It means you can bookmark this page on your phone and use it to explain the concept of true vs apparent to anyone – even whilst out on the […]

3 Reasons to Twist Your Sail Out

April 30, 2014/by Grant Headifen

NauticEd is the World’s Most Advanced Sailing Education and Sailing Certification Program. Perfecting Sail Trim and Twist Here are three reasons you should be twisting out the sail towards the top of the mast Get rid of excessive heeling Match the wind at the top of the sail to the wind gradient Drum Roll … […]

Why a Sailboat does not tip over?

January 13, 2014/by Grant Headifen

Why doesn’t a sailboat tip over? Here’s an animation that shows the balance of forces actually it is technically the balance of moments.

Momentum Discussion

February 19, 2009/by Grant Headifen

Here is an exercise that everyone should do. It’s taken from the Maneuvering a Sailboat Under Power clinic which gives 20 different exercises to be able to confidently maneuver a sailboat. Exercise 1: Under power, and going down wind, move towards a marker or buoy and stop the boat with the buoy abeam of the […]

Further elaboration of true vs apparent wind

February 7, 2009/by Grant Headifen

There has been a request for further elaboration of the wind vectors as to why the true wind is always behind the apparent wind. Previously we used this diagram and the confusion is that the true wind vector is in front of the apparent wind vector. The following diagram explains the vectors better perhaps. The […]

Understanding true vs apparent wind

February 4, 2009/by Grant Headifen

Here is an easy description of true wind and apparent wind. Put you hand outside the window of your car traveling at 60 miles per hour on a still day and your hand will feel a 60 mile per hour wind. That’s apparent wind yet the true wind is zero. What if the car was […]