Ooh, looking forward to it. As a kid I learned that the pressure was lower on top of the wing so it generated “lift”. Then I remember hearing “wellllll, it’s not as a simple as that!” and i have heard from many folks who think it is simply explained. I should go read the SciAm article. But I’m also interested in the physics of sailboats. I sail and I’m really confused about the forces at play. Do we also not really understand how sailboats sail upwind?
I've been intrigued by sailing before too, though I've never really studied it in any depth. But I remember being enthralled by an article I read in Wired magazine a long time ago:
I expect our understanding of sailboats is essentially the same as our understanding of flying*, so the comments I have in the start of this article pretty much apply to sails too -- I *do* think we can explain it, but it might not feel satisfyingly intuitive because it's not "x causes y", it's "all these factors balance out in a way that generates a certain pressure field around the sail".
*The sail pretty much acts like a wing, just oriented in a different direction. (Then you have the rudder(?) which redirects the forces generated by the sail)
That brings me 10-15 years back during my engineering degree. I'll avidly read the rest !
Ooh, looking forward to it. As a kid I learned that the pressure was lower on top of the wing so it generated “lift”. Then I remember hearing “wellllll, it’s not as a simple as that!” and i have heard from many folks who think it is simply explained. I should go read the SciAm article. But I’m also interested in the physics of sailboats. I sail and I’m really confused about the forces at play. Do we also not really understand how sailboats sail upwind?
I've been intrigued by sailing before too, though I've never really studied it in any depth. But I remember being enthralled by an article I read in Wired magazine a long time ago:
https://www.wired.com/2010/08/ddwfttw/
https://www.wired.com/story/faster/
I expect our understanding of sailboats is essentially the same as our understanding of flying*, so the comments I have in the start of this article pretty much apply to sails too -- I *do* think we can explain it, but it might not feel satisfyingly intuitive because it's not "x causes y", it's "all these factors balance out in a way that generates a certain pressure field around the sail".
*The sail pretty much acts like a wing, just oriented in a different direction. (Then you have the rudder(?) which redirects the forces generated by the sail)