On Oct 13, 12:46 pm, (Steve Firth) wrote:
Wilbur Hubbard wrote:
... 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 . . .

You're not dreaming, they're right and you don't understand physics.

Is there any more help that you need?

I don't have that rag and I looked at the Nordavn web site and they
don't make that claim there. If, however, the claim was made as
Wilbur represents it then Wilbur is right and Nordhavn is wrong. I'm
assuming that "dead air" means that the apparent wind is zero as seen
by an object floating freely on the ocean's surface. Over here in
the Pacific the term for that condition is "calm". As far as I know,
"dead air" means that a broadcast radio station has gone silent. I've
never heard it used as a meteorological term. Maybe the ad guy meant
"light air", in which case the claim is plausible.

-- Tom.