Windsurfer fin hydrodynamics

Sutherland, L. and Wilson, P.A. (1994) Windsurfer fin hydrodynamics. In Marine, Offshore and Ice Technology. Computational Mechanics Publications. pp. 51-58 . (doi:10.2495CMO940061).

Record type: Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)

Abstract

Fin hydrodynamics of a windsurferL. Sutherland & R.A. Wilson
Department of Ship Science, University of Southampton
1 Introduction
Windsurfing is a relatively new technical sport and has advanced rapidly in the quality of equipment, with the consequent increase in speed and technique that only time can allow. The initial developments were aimed at the obvious components such as the sail rig and the shape of the board itself. The remaining item of the windsurfer, the fin, was initially thought of as providing a control surface for directional stability, similar to the effects of a tail fin of an aeroplane. Of course this is far from the truth, since the driving force derived from the sail rig, has to be resisted by the fin. Thus the windsurfer must be thought of as a combined system of a board, rig and the fin. This paper will concentrate on the fin geometry and our ability to derive design force estimates, so that suitable matching of board to fin.

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Published date: 13 September 1994

Venue - Dates: International Conference on Computer-aided Design, Manufacture and Operation in the Marine and Offshore Industries, , Southampton, United Kingdom, 1994-09-13 - 1994-09-15

Organisations: Fluid Structure Interactions Group