The Physics of Sailing Explained (Paperback)

~ (Author) "As everyone knows, when a boat moves through the water it generates waves..." (more)
Key Phrases: Volvo Ocean Race, America's Cup, North Atlantic (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Anderson offers a clear and thorough discussion of sailing, pointed toward people who race their boats but of interest to anyone who sails. Starting with the design of hulls and keels, he analyzes the various ways in which water retards the motion of a boat and shows how they are minimized. He then discusses the physics of sails and the complicated motion of the air that flows around them, and finally the physics of weather and ocean currents. The author shows the general pattern of winds at high and low altitudes and how it is altered by the great land masses, and then follows on how the winds in turn guide the currents below them.

There is mathematics, high school style, particularly to explain some surprising aspects of hull shape, but this is neatly segregated into boxes to oblige readers who like to sail in a light breeze. This book will surprise many who think there is not much about boat design that is not obvious. --Choice, April 2004

Books on the how and what of sailing abound, but few go into great depth to answer the why questions why sailboats behave as they do and the physical properties involved. The Physics of Sailing Explained by Bryon Anderson attempts to answer some of these questions.

A thin little book at fewer than 150 pages, The Physics of Sailing Explained is not intended for physicists or for yacht and sail designers. It is, however, intended as a basic primer for those interested in gaining a better understanding of the fundamental principles of sailing, and therefore a better appreciation of the sport as a whole. Anderson explores, in layman terms, the mechanics of such phenomena as lift, resistance, turbulence and weather. Our familiar friends Bernoulli and Coriolis are given due treatment, as are such lesser-known names as Reynolds and Van der Waals.

A professor of physics at Kent State University, Anderson backs up some of the more important theories with hard equations for the mathematically inclined. Fortunately, knowing these derivations are not necessary to understanding the text. Illustrations, while rather simple from a graphic-design standard, help further explain the principle.

For someone looking for a definitive work on the principles of sailing and boat design, a better place to look would be finding an out-of-print copy of Czeslaw (Tony) Marchaj's Aero-Hydrodynamics of Sailing. But for a quick, easily accessible introduction into the mechanics os sailing, Anderson's book is a good first step. --Sailing, April 2004

Brian Anderson is well qualified to write on how sail boats sail, being a lecturer in physics as well as a keen cruiser and racer. If you have ever wondered why you were being overtaken by a similar boat to yours which seems to be doing everything you are doing but still managing that extra speed, this book will explain the reason and next time out he may not get in front.

A wealth of subjects such as vortex formation, surface resistance, induced drag and even parasitic resistance (not an antibiotics!) are all discussed and explained. The black and white photographs and illustrations complement the text as the reader goes from basics such as a boat s maximum speed is fundamentally determined by its length , to a description of Bernoulli s Principle and the effect of the Coriolis force. Clearly and logically written this is an invaluable book for anyone who wants to do a little more than just messing about in boats. --Cruising, Winter 2004

Product Description

Authoritative yet accessible, The Physics of Sailing Explained is the perfect work for those sailors who want to enhance their understanding and enjoyment of life at sea. It will enable readers to better grasp how sails, keels, and hulls work together to keep seafarers afloat, and will sharpen their skills with a more subtle and thorough appreciation of why various boat design features are present and why certain tactics work in certain situations. Anderson, a professor of physics at Kent State University and an avid sailor, outlines the science behind seagoing in such a way that anyone can understand and benefit from without having to trudge through a physics text or become a naval architect. With the help of this invaluable book, sailors will be better prepared to handle any situations that might arise on the water.

Topics covered include:
What limits the speed of a sailboat and what is hull speed ?
Can a sailboat ever go faster than its hull speed?
What is the best shape for a sailboat?
Can anything be done to reduce the friction of a sailboat moving through water?
What is the effect of turbulence created by a sailboat on how it moves through water and what can be done to reduce turbulence?
Why is a keel necessary on a sailboat?
How does a keel work?
How has keel design improved over the years?
How do sails work?
What is the fastest direction of sailing with respect to the wind direction?
Is it true that some sailboats can sail faster upwind than downwind?
Why are modern sails so tall and narrow for upwind sailing and much fuller for downwind sailing?
What produces the tides?
Why are there two high tides each day?
Do the tides follow the Moon around each day?
What produces the winds?
What causes the global wind patterns?
What is the Coriolis force and how does it affect global wind patterns?
What causes the global current patterns?
Why does the Gulf Stream exist?
And much more...

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Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: Sheridan House (October 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1574091700
• ISBN-13: 978-1574091700
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #64,690 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #66 in	Books > Outdoors & Nature > Outdoor Recreation > Boating
  #92 in	Books > Outdoors & Nature > Outdoor Recreation > Sailing

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good but could be better, August 15, 2008

By	Sealykin (Europe) - See all my reviews

This is a unique book somewhat bridging the qualitative and quantitative.

Organization is good, starting with the hull, then keel, sails and lastly weather. My fellow sailors snuck it away when they could, and I think we did learn some things.

Good was the hull speed derivation and shallow water wave speed derivation, and the discussions of scaling factors for the other technical parameters. Disappointing was that there were no other derivations and also that some of the figures are not well labeled (for instance, is cord length on Figures 3.8 a horizontal or vertical dimension?).

Hopefully in a year or two there may be another edition, putting in somewhat more physics.

Get this if you want a quick read to start to bridge the gap between the coffee table sailing books and proper yacht engineering tomes.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars physics of sailing, January 18, 2007

By	P. Wielgosz "critic" (Takoma, WA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The book doesn't go into alot of detail, but for the novice sailor it's more than sufficient for a good starting point.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Pretty good for the money, February 24, 2008

By	John F. Sullivan "Renaissance man" (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is better read at your desk with a pad and paper nearby. There are a few areas where you will need to run a few math problems to really 'get' this book. This is more of a college upper classman read than a warm winter night read.
Once past the math and the tougher parts, you might start to look for more subjects like blocks and running rigging and the physics involved with them. Additionally, I'd like to see more about the why of some of the design trade offs in some of the faster racing boats (Americas Cup, Volvo Ocean, etc.). Also a good discussion of the tradeoffs in hull design for different purposes would be nice.