The Symmetry of Sailing: The Physics of Sailing for Yachtsmen

Why must a boat make leeway in order to sail to windward? How can a helmsman prevent downwind rolling? Why is a sail able to produce a force at right angles to the wind direction? How do the motions of water particles in waves affect boat handling? These and many other important questions are addressed by the author in this detailed study of the motive forces of a yacht. The author has the rare gift of enabling his readers to relate the nautical phenomena with which they are so familiar to a physical explanation of how and why these occur. The first part covers downwind sailing, upwind sailing, sails, the hull, and the dynamic motion of a yacht. Part Two is devoted to more mathematical explanations of the same phenomena for those requiring a more scientific approach.