The Physics of Sailing Explained

By Bryon D. Anderson

Authoritative yet accessible, The Physics of Sailing Explained is the perfect work for those sailors who want to enhance their understanding and enjoyment of life at sea. It will enable readers to better grasp how sails, keels, and hulls work together to keep seafarers afloat, and will sharpen their skills with a more subtle and thorough appreciation of why various boat design features are present and why certain tactics work in certain situations. Anderson, a professor of physics at Kent State University and an avid sailor, outlines the science behind seagoing in such a way that anyone can understand and benefit from without having to trudge through a physics text or become a naval architect. With the help of this invaluable book, sailors will be better prepared to handle any situations that might arise on the water.

Topics covered include:

• What limits the speed of a sailboat and what is “hull speed”?
• Can a sailboat ever go faster than its hull speed?
• What is the best shape for a sailboat?
• Can anything be done to reduce the friction of a sailboat moving through water?
• What is the effect of turbulence created by a sailboat on how it moves through water and what can be done to reduce turbulence?
• Why is a keel necessary on a sailboat?
• How does a keel work?
• How has keel design improved over the years?
• How do sails work?
• What is the fastest direction of sailing with respect to the wind direction?
• Is it true that some sailboats can sail faster upwind than downwind?
• Why are modern sails so tall and narrow for upwind sailing and much fuller for downwind sailing?
• What produces the tides?
• Why are there two high tides each day?
• Do the tides follow the Moon around each day?
• What produces the winds?
• What causes the global wind patterns?
• What is the Coriolis force and how does it affect global wind patterns?
• What causes the global current patterns?
• Why does the Gulf Stream exist?
• And much more...

Read an Excerpt

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“…for sailors who wish to probe the actual science of sailing in more detail. Cruiser and races alike learn how sails, keels and hulls work together and why different tactics work in different situations.” –The Midwest Book Review

“Anderson offers a clear and thorough discussion of sailing... This book will surprise many who think there is not much about boat design that is not obvious.” – Choice

“ There are many books on the how and what of sailing abound, but few go into great depth to answer the why questions – why sailboats behave as they do and the physical properties involved. The Physics of Sailing Explained by Bryon Anderson attempts to answer some of these questions.” – Sailing

• See what else the press has to say: Reviews

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About the Author:
Bryon D. Anderson is a professor of physics at Kent State University and an avid sailor. As a graduate student, he spent many summers sailing Lake Erie, even making a trip to Canada and back, and has since developed a passion for cruising and club racing. This is his first nautical book.