Bob Spagnoletti
The motivation to sail at high speed has
changed over the years. Originally it was getting your cargo to market as
quickly as possible, now it is predominantly for sport.
Today, the
accessibility of high-tech materials has made it possible to experiment with
different concepts, leading to new and more adrenaline pumping forms of
sailing. The talk will outline the physics of fast sailing and speculate on
the ultimate speed.
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So just
how fast can a sailing craft go? What will it look like?
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How do
windsurfers, kite boards and hydrofoil boats measure up?
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What has
been achieved so far? What can go wrong?
Bob
Spagnoletti is a keen windsurfer and one of the organisers of Weymouth Speed
Week, an event dedicated to exploring experimental form of fast sailing. He
has studied the aero-hydro dynamics of sailing extensively and built
experimental windsurfers. During the week he is a design engineer for
Vitesse Networks.
