Sailing is not a complicated sport
It seems obvious how a sailboat sails downwind: It is pushed
along by the wind in its sails. Less obvious is how it can sail
upwind or how some sailboats can sail faster than the wind.
Sir Isaac Newton formulated three basic laws that pertain to the
motions and accelerations of all objects.
Let us have a look at the third law: For any force exerted on an
object, an equal but opposite force must be exerted by that
object onto whatever exerted the force. A direct consequence of
this law is the conservation of momentum (Momentum equals mass
times velocity). The conservation of momentum tells us that if
the velocity of one thing is somehow changed (in either
magnitude or direction) that the velocity of something else must
also change accordingly. Moreover, a large change in velocity of
a light object can be balanced by a small change in velocity of
a massive object. This is, of course, how a sailboat sails.
Because of its large sail area, a sailboat can change the
velocity of a huge amount of air in a small amount of direction
or speed. The change of velocity that the sailboat imparts to
the air hitting her sails is mainly a change in the direction in
which the air is moving. So a sailboat can experience a large
driving force even when she is sailing against the wind. In the
real world, there are two forces. One is the wind pushing on the
sail when it is changing direction. The air traveling over the
leeward surface of the cambered sail creates the second force.
It has to travel a longer way to reach the end of the sail (the
leech), and as a consequence goes faster. This is causing a
pressure differential in accordance with Bernoulli's principle.
(More speed gives less pressure and less speed gives more
pressure).
So a sailboat can sail upwind with the addition of these two
forces. But remember that the force created by the depression is
four times bigger that the one created by pushing the air
sideways. A fluid flow exerts a force upon an object in a
direction perpendicular to the uninterrupted flow of that fluid.
As a result, a lift is generated. But there is also creation of
a drag that is a force acting in the direction of the
fluid.Because lift and drag are defined as being perpendicular
to one another, any force acting on a sail can, using
trigonometry, be divided into a lift component and a drag
component. By separating the force into these two components, we
can study the relationships between lift, drag, the shape of the
sail, and the angle between the sail and the airflow( AOA or
Angle Of Attack with the Greek letter)
Sailing is not a complicated sport. Anyone can do it and enjoy
it. Spend time on the water You just need to take a little time
on the water. Trying and collecting experience is one of the
best way to learn. I am sure you will have a great time on the
water. You can start just by yourself. Plenty of sailors started
buying, renting, borrowing or otherwise obtaining a boat for
their first sail without any knowledge. Let me say that you have
to take care because it could be hazardous to your health. Get
the Right Boat For a child, learning to sail in a dinghy seems
natural. For an adult, it is not so simple. You react less by
instinct and fear to go on this unstable machine could surface.
For this reason, many people opt for a larger, seemingly more
forgiving big boat to learn on. It is another way, but they miss
out on a pure form of sailing not experienced in larger boats.
Is it Dangerous? Which danger could threaten you on a small
sailing boat? You could tip over. It is called "Capsize".
Capsizing and learning to right your boat again are all part of
the learning process and could be fun. With the fear of capsize
behind you, you will be able to concentrate wholly on sailing
maneuvers instead of constantly worrying about getting wet.
Don't wait and Jump Remember, you told everyone that you would
like to become a sailor and go across oceans... Well, it's time
to make good on that. At first, gauge how you feel about the
water. During your last summer vacation, did you jump right in
the water or did you cautiously wade in? Okay, I agree it could
depend of the weather and the temperature of the water. But if
you're a jumper, you can stop reading here. Just take a day off
from the office, buy or rent a boat, or ask an old friend sailor
to come with you, and get out of here! If you're still with me,
then you're a wader. Don't worry. I am not a jumper too, and I
sailed during the last 40 years having fun. It is difficult for
me to take the decision to go, but if I fall, by accident,in the
(cold) water, it is not such a big problem for me. The more I
think about, the less I go... Have no fear. Nobody is going to
splash you. Let's start with dipping our toes into the water.
The way to do that with sailing is to go out and buy a few books
about the sport. Stay away from anything boring, technical, or
overly historical. You need an easy book, with a lot of
drawings, and nice to read. Lobbying, Lobbying Now let's go to a
more serious work. Figure out a way to catch an invitation onto
a sailboat. The important thing is to get sailing. You can pay
to go on a sailing boat with skipper, or twist a friend's arm to
be invited aboard his next sail. I don't care the method. You
need to go on the water. As a good info, it is very rare to be
sick on small boats. You are outside, in the wind, all thing
concurring to have you feeling well. Just take care not to do a
race with a crazy guy who will cure you of sailing. You have to
start with a mellow sailing day. Take a Course It's time to move
on to the second step. Find an adult sailing course and sign up
for it. Personally, I would recommend taking your first lessons
in a small sailing boat, a dinghy. For sailing courses they are
designed for beginners. They will give you an immediate response
to any shifts in the variables that affect sailing (weight,
wind, waves, and weather). If your wife (or your husband,
boyfriend or girlfriend) wants to learn sailing too, take
separate classes. It's difficult enough to learn a new sport
without having your partner watching over your shoulder at every
step of the way. It will be time later to sail (and should the
occasion arise, to fight) all together, as an old couple, on the
same boat.
For more information on sailing please visit the sailing
resource center at Home SecurityResource Center