Customer Reviews

Understanding Aerodynamic Characteristics of Windsurfing

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This book is disorganized, poorly written and has the feel of a hastily assembled undergraduate research project. Far worse, the "analysis" is ill conceived and largely incorrect. It is difficult to understand why this work was ever printed. It certainly should not be supported by further sales. The author should be ashamed of this effort.

In fact, I think he may realize how weak his work was and attempted to hide the lack of substance by adopting the pontificating verbiage of a bored college professor. The grating style is compounded by his lack of fluency in english -- obviously not the author's native language.

It is clear to me that he doesn't understand the basic physics of a vessel sailing in equilibrium between aerodynamic and hydrodynamic forces. Nor can he possibly be a good windsurfer. A much better explanation of the physics of sailing is in "The Symmetry of Sailing" by Ross Garrett, or "Aerodyanamics of Sailing" by Marchaj. Indeed, there are some problems which are unique to windsurfing -- unfortunately, the author neither addresses or understands them.

I have an MS in Naval Architecture (UC Berkeley hydrodynamics), and work as a naval architect. I have lectured on the subject at Cal, and am in the top level of windsurfers in San Francisco Bay. I remain very interested in this subject and do not claim to understand it fully; however, I am sorry I bought this book and urge you to choose another title.

This little-known publication finally put windsurfing on the scientific shelf. Paul Ng has compiled " Understanding Aerodynamic characteristics of Windsurfing," a comprehensive, concise and somewhat confusing treatises on the physics of windsurfing, particularly windsurfing sails.
In part one, Ng addresses basic physics of windsurfing including forces acting on the sail and mathematics relationships of the sail, rider, board and wind. this mainly revolves around forward force, resulting in forward motion, and lateral force, affecting balance, stability and control. In part two, he discusses angle of attack, including differences in sails, the relationship of the fin and human factors such as weight. Detailed graphs, charts and flow sheets highlight important concepts.
Overall, this book is complex and difficult to read. this may be the result of the fact that it is the first book devoted purely to the technical aspect of windsurfing. Ng mainly concentrates on analytical functions and quantitative parameters based on theory. Thus this book is shy of prose to bridge the theoretical formulas with practical applications. In fact, without an advanced background in physics or analytical math, it may be impossible to fully understand or utilize these concepts.
Also Ng's book does not accurately reflect today's equipment. For example, sails are grouped as speed, race and sport in light of the fact that wave sails are a separate specialized group. Likewise, sport sails are often convertible, which act differently depending on how they are rigged. Also,, with so many shapes of fins, it is difficult to generalize them theoretically as one. But this is a relatively small problem when considering Ng's task at theorizing such a complex sport.
This book may be most useful to sail and equipment designers. but if you are a technical junkie, it might be nice to wedge this book next to Dan McGee's "Build Your Own Custom Sailboard" and John Allen's " Geologic Field Guide to Columbia River Gorge Trip." Evidently, computer software is to be available to accompany.
"Understanding Aerodynamic Characteristic of Windsurfing," Also fo note, Ng reports he is working on hydrodynamic characteristics of windsuf boards.
(This review was originally written by Dr. Christopher Van Tilburg and published in The WIND TRACKS Magazine in August, 1995).