NORDHAVN Rewrites Physics Textbooks

Well-known and well-respected motorboat manufacturer, NORDHAVN has
produced a new addition to their lineup, a 56-foot motorsailer called
the 56MS. On page 109 of SAIL magazine, October 2007 issue they have a
full-page advertisement touting how great it is.

Among other things, they claim to be able to create something from
nothing. The advert states, "Even in dead air the apparent wind when
motorsailing generates lift and reduces the amount of engine power
needed to maintain the same speed the engine would produce on its own."
Huh? Tell me I ain't dreaming . . .

Now let me see if I got this straight. In dead air one assumes there is
no wind from any direction. Right? Therefore, any motion of the boat
produced by the motor in forward gear would result in an apparent wind
from dead ahead. Agreed? So, unless they've hired Old Thom Stewart, who
knows nothing about apparent wind, to write the ad script there's no way
they actually believe this nonsense that sails can be powered up by a
wind from directly ahead, is there? Seems to me the sails would just
luff and cause drag thus reducing the speed through the water produced
by the motor.

But, I guess when you're selling motorsailers you can count upon your
customers being quite stupid so perhaps some will fall for this ruse.

Wilbur Hubbard