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I've wondered that also, because I've seen very little about it.
However, it does seem to be for real: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1507825.stm Also, from http://www.sailingcatamarans.com/newsletters.htm is this account: The Multihull Centre have built a couple of unusual craft this year, one being a windmill powered Ocean Twins 36. A 40' (12m) windmill replaces the sails and drives a 5' (1.5m) diameter water propellor. It has now sailed a couple of times, once when I was out on a test sail on my Eclipse. The wind was about 20 knots true. I met it when we were sailing goose-winged with one reef. BIG suprise! It pulled away from us (just). Turning onto a reach I realised I had to steer properly and then overtook it easily. To windward we took out the reef and were doing 8.8 Knots at 32 deg to apparent wind. The windmill boat was doing 7.5 knots straight in to the wind, so there wasn't much in it. The boat is certainly a lot quicker than the conventionally rigged Twins. I understand that the "sail area" of a windmill is the swept area - in this case around 1200 sq ft. The standard boat has about 600 sq ft. But the boat trimmed aft as if it were under power when going to windward and this would probably limit top speed. The boat is not "point and steer", at least not yet, and its easy to stall by mistake (no telltales or flapping sails to show what's happening) In light winds the boat is less successful and won't go until there's 10 knots true wind. But that's probably because of the water prop being incorrectly pitched. Bob Crantz wrote: I wonder if it is a hoax. Amen! "Bart Senior" .@. wrote in message ... Nothing much said about it's performance. "Bob Crantz" wrote in message news ![]() http://foxxaero.homestead.com/indrad_007.html |
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