Video for 61 knots...

 Hi all, busy day today sorting out everything from yesterdays madness. Great to wake up in the middle of the night realising it's not a dream. The next potential forecast is for Friday/saturday. After looking at all of yesterdays data I know we can smash this.

Peak speed 61.92 knots.

500 meter average 54.08 knots

5 second average 59.08 knots.

It's funny now to see that speeds of 52 and 53 knots are dragging down your average.

It's a new ball game now. Let's hope that mother nature comes to it.

Full report tomorrow... meanwhile here's the vid. Nice work Ben.

Boom, the 60 knot + run

Enjoy. 

 

Comments

Time

Took me nine and a half years to circumnavigate the globe!
Ron Lovett.

Official Congratulations ?

Well done !
Just wondering how the official results are progressing. What's the process ?
Looking forward to tomorrows sailing !

Just a BIG congratulation to

Just a BIG congratulation to Paul and the rest of the team for these results. With a peak of almost 62, the absolute record is surely in for grabs.

Regards Flemming
A follower through all the years :o)

Video....I wish!

Fantastic effort. I tried to watch the video on YouTube from my iPad but got message that owner has not permitted this for mobile, only PC. Here's hoping that I can share in the excitement soon. Hello to Alex....bet Helen will have a special cake for your return :-). Graham (CCsc, Weymouth, UK)

Congratulations

Hi Paul,
Congratulations to all the team - fantastic news, been a lot of hard work for all the team involved and really glad to see that the potential is being realised. Hope you enjoyed the 60kt celebration! Fingers crossed you have some more good winds at the weekend and a chance to have a good go at the record...
Cheers from the Isle of Wight,
Mark

Sailing Dragster Race Competitions

I’m a fan of the Sailien. Looks like it could be a very practical concept for cruising, I would love to be able to sail a boat like that with minimal moving parts and simply shunting.

I just figured that racing maniacs would like to see a race boat fly around turns and maintain some momentum, rather that slowdown and start back up like you do when shunting.

Even Sailing Dragster race competitions would be fun to watch!

Reply Re: Sailing Dragster Race Competitions

Thanks Kuhilani.
Sailien actually will "fly around turns and maintain momentium". It doesn't really shunt, although it appears to do so. It is essentially a cross between a proa and a convential boat (so I guess that tricks both types of sailors lol).

Bob

How far can you push it?

So just how much wind can she sail in? As you have a solid 2. something X wind speed, what are the design limits? More importantly, how high is the pilot's pucker factor? Looks sky high from here.
If you can be in control and stay together with 35+ knot breeze...

Jim L.

You did it Rocketman!

Well done Paul and all your fantastic team. When do you start giving joy rides? Sing me up mate! The video looks great and sure looks like you are truckin. Now go set that out-right speed record. Even though I am off the piss and in health mode I am going down to the Ao Chalong Yacht Club on Friday night and have a big Rumbo for you! Cheers!

REPLY... Re; You did it Rocketman!

Hiya Phil. Nothing wrong with health mode ol' Bean... but that did deserve rum I agree!

Say hello to the gang. I hope all is well.

Cheers, Paul 

Video

mmmh, I am a little bit disappointed concerning the speedfeeling in that video. I would suggest for next time: Don´t move the camera and not so much close up - as to be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dl-K_RU8KRE&feature=relmfu

However: In my opinion the most important thing is the sound. The waves clapping at the front floater would be a perfect speed indicator and create a way better speed feeling. In the following clip I mounted an extra sound recorder on my board. The sound is transmitted directly by the board and not by the air: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_ifZ0zFKlo&feature=g-crec-u

@ Koen Sonck: Sebastian Cattelan has already reached 61 kn 3 years ago: http://www.gps-kitesurfing.com/default.aspx?mnu=user&val=37801&uid=47

Reply... Re; Video

 Hmmmm... where to start with this one. Firstly, I agree that we can improve the quality... but I must say that it is not from lack of trying. The new GoPro 2's have totally let us down. You only ever see the good stuff because obviously you can't see what they failed to capture. Brilliant eh? It is not a proper Sailrocket run if it doesn't involveme standing at the top of the course swearing at another expensive failed piece of gadgetry. Comms off the boat should be easy right? They aren't. GoPro's should be bomb proof right? They aren't. It's almost harder to get all the electronics to work than the bloody foil. We try... time and time again... all the while trying to not miss a trick with what really counts. the boat itself. We will keep trying. I agree that sound is very important and often overlooked.

Sure, a part of Seb may have hit 61 knots... as may have a part of Hydroptere. I have never seen the data or under what circumstances. This was just our second run in decent wind. The recorded average over the run was 24.5 knots. I expect I hit the peak at the high end that generated that 'average'. You probably struggle to understand the signifigance of a proper foiled craft going that quick. It blows your previous theories apart for starters. Think about it. A big boat can go that fast in a lot less wind on an open water course. That was our first day where we saw our theories become reality. There is plenty more to come. I was still accelerating hard at the end and it only stopped because I sheeted out. There was a 47 knot speed in that average.

Cheers, Paul

Video

Hi Paul,
I had problems with my GoPro, too - until I used the batteries from ENERGIZER "Ultimate Lithium". They also have rechargable ones. Hope this helps.

I have Seb´s trackfiles here. They seem ok. I can send you if you like.

What was the windspeed in your run ? Looks like maximum 7 Bf. So you are definitely the fastest - no doubt !

cheers
tilmann

I was talking about "sailing"

I was talking about "sailing" craft, not "slingshotting" craft ;-)

Yeah BABY

That beats pushing a Kombi back from Marg's any day mate. Go get it. Talk to you when you are the outright legend. Brett

Reply... Re; Yeah Baby

 Hiya Bretto, Whoop woop. You like that one. Mate, I am right here now exactly because that Kombi blew up in Marg's. I sat there in that camp-site that night and said to Teen "OK, this is so bad that it has to be good. Our path has now changed and it might lead to something". Sure did... about four days later I was signing on for my first 'revving' by Jack Freeman at Funcats! That was it... I got back into sailing... and here we are. Happy days mate.

Say g'day to the ol' legend if you see him.

Cheers, Paul.

The obvious?

Hi Paul, What a trill!!!!
I do have one question: the solution, those fences..... was that not the obvious thing to do that would prevent cavitation? What if you would have added these on the other foil? Would that be enough to go through your glass ceiling to?
Would be interesting as a test to add the same solution on the old foil and see the effect.

But first, go and break that outright. VSR2 deserves it. In my mind, she has it already. it is all in the data, the proof is already there, 61 knots, no other sailing craft has done this.

Koen Sonck

Reply... Re: The obvious?

 Hi Koen,

Hmmm, on one hand yes it was obvious that fences should stop ventilation. How it affects cavitation is another thing. It affects cavitation by preventing ventilation and hence changing the loading on the cavitating area.

The thing is that we haven't done many runs. We wanted to try the foil bare first so that we could compare. This way we get a better understanding for what is happening, where to put the fences and exactly how they affect things. One variable at a time right? We always knew we could add things afterwards. It doesn't stop at fences either.

We often think about what may have been happening with the other foils. We did add fences to the first sub-cav foil i.e. the more conventional shape. They didn't make much difference. The first wedge foil was a different beast altogether and hence had different issues described in a blog earlier. It was just too big and too cambered. It was actually cavitating on the wrong side... although... we will revisit that one once this is all over. It's a fascinating new world we have entered here. Much more interesting than normal wetted flows over normal foils.

Hydroptere once said they hit 61 knots before that almighty crash... but I never saw proof of it. I got the impression that they tried to distance themselves from that claim. I know they had the same gps equipment we have onboard. The trouble is that once you even hint at it... the media run with it. They may have done it. I can show you ours in a number of forms. the great thing is that we landed it... and will go out and better it again soon.

Cheers, Paul

Outstanding work! Goes beyond just the sailng record!

Bravo, Paul!

As you have said before this goes beyond setting the record for a sailing craft. Your team has solved the cavitating foil barrier in a non-compressible fluid. Just like Yeager punching through the sound barrier, you have opened the door to a whole new world of high speed foils in all types of applications. You guys truly have The Right Stuff!

We're Not Worthy!

Jim L.

video

What a cracker, she looked very stable and the leeward float looked beautiful and steady the best yet keep at it
Mike

Video link not working

No need to publish this comment... Just tried to watch the video, but link seems to not work, or video not avail on YouTube. Congrats again for amazing achievement.

REPLY... Re; Video link not working

 Hiya thenuskot,

there does seem to be some issues with mobile devices. We are struggling to get to the bottom of it. It might have something to do with the music. It's odd though as some of the videos work and some don't. Bloody nightmare actually. It's hard enough just getting the content and editing it. we are onto it and we are trying.

Thanks for the congrats.

Cheers, Paul.

fence

I know that is a reduction of all the work that you and the design team had done, but it is crazy to know that your glass ceiling have been broken by this small part of carbon named fence.

Thank you for these emotions

all the best

Reply... Re: Fence

 Hi Florian,

Yeah the fence did make all the difference... but on other levels it isn't quite as simple as that. The fence just allowed every other aspect of the foil work as designed. The foil with all its twists, cambers, changing profiles and thicknesses is actually a very complex shape. Everything is designed to delay cavitation. We now know how much of a limiting effect it has. This boat has always been screaming to do over 60 knots. It just needed sweet, sweet release from cavitation.

Cheers, Paul

p.s. you have been following us for a looong time Florian. You must be enjoying this. These last few runs must be like you watching your team win the cup:) Nice one.

Dragster of Sailing!

Wow!
You are the Dragster of Sailing!
I hope you guys eventully come up with a new 50-60+ knot racing class.
Any plans for a tacking version with some sort of swing aroud ourtigger and skeg?

REPLY... Re; Dragster of sailing

 Hi Kuhilani...I have often thought of what a tacking one would look like and what compromises we would make. There are many ways of doing it. You could add another 'mirror image' to the existing boat. The wings vertical components of the wing would be cancelling out so the central foil would only need to be vertical. The fuselage would point straight ahead. Sort of like a Ketterman tri-foiler but with a swinging beam. It might get messy:)

The other option is for a proa with a swinging beam. This would be my preferred method. For now we are just worried about no-compromises-speed. We simply want to push the hydrodynamic limits as far as we can. I'll worry about that later. I have no real plans to make money out of it. By the time this one is being copied we will be taking our knowledge to the next one. You can see how far we have come from the mk1. I kind of feel that our minds should be obsessed with what's next rather than getting bogged down with the business of cashing in on what's now. That's what I find most interesting. My attention span is pretty damned short if I'm not interested.

For the record... I do like proa's. Their day will come.

Cheers, Paul.

p.s. I look forward to seeing what other peoples interpretation of this concept may be.

Kuhilani1, been sailing it since 1985

A tacking version has been successfully sailing since 1985, first as a model then as an evolving, full-sized prototype.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D1v7D0dgFU

Bob Imhoff

Reply... Re; Sailing since 1985

 Hi Bob,

Excellent stuff. I loved the model. How far did you get with it? There is so much that can be done with these concepts. I look at modern boats that heel over and try to nose-dive and wonder why so many people persist with the same old stuff. I can understand why cruising boats need to be basic, safe and very practical... but not out and out racers.

Anyway... I liked that. Thanks for sharing. Surprised I hadn't seen it before actually.

Cheers, Paul

Reply to Paul Re Sailing since 1985

Hi Paul,

Thanks. I agree about boats that use weight in any form for stability (includes multi-hulls). Ok for thrills and spills, but not for getting the job done.

I essentially "solved the problem" with respect to "aero-hydrofoils" with the model. I then built several full-sized prototypes and worked at refining for a practical day-sailer.

The biggest problem is low wind-speed performance (you know about that!) but that can be overcome. Going fast is not a problem as the craft gets more stable and positive with speed (a point you've ably demonstrated with VSR2).

On low-wind days you might find my blog to be of interest, it's been a running comment on speed sailing and you can see if my predictions were right or wrong, lol. Also I've posted on how a sail craft can go faster than the wind and I differ from you with respect to the apparent wind and what is actually driving the craft.

One thing we've both observed is that what we're doing is misunderstood by most, it's just a problem of strange looking design, where the key parts of the craft are in unusual places (hence the name "Sailien" lol).

You, Malcolm, and the whole team have done a stellar job, I'm real proud of this whole project; Bernard would have a huge smile, for sure.

I guess you didn't see it before, because I didn't talk loudly enough.

Cheers, Bob

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