Sailing ships – Page 2

The Fastest Sailboat in the World

December 13, 2012 by kris de decker Filed Under: Random, Sailing ships, Travel, Wind Power

The Sailrocket, a sailing boat that we have talked about before, is the fastest craft under sail, after breaking the 2010 record held by a kiteboarder.

During the last run in Namibia in November 2012, an improved version of this unconventional boat reached an average speed of 65.45 knots (121.21 km/h or 75.31 mph) over a distance of 500 meters. Earlier this year it set speed records of 59.23 and 59.37 knots.

Record sailing speeds have almost tripled since the beginning of the 1970s. Those who think that sailboats are a technology from the past, think again.

See and read more at YachtPals and Sailrocket.

Sailing 10,000 Nautical Miles Using the Stars, Moon and Sun

July 29, 2012 by kris de decker Filed Under: Navigation, Sailing ships, Travel, Wind Power

A group of intrepid Māori sailors from New Zealand will take on the world’s biggest ocean, the Pacific, in an attempt to sail to Easter Island, the most remote inhabited place on Earth, without GPS, charts, maps, or even a compass.

Instead the group will be guided by the traditional techniques that helped the Polynesian people traverse the wide expanses of the Pacific and settle the islands of Hawaii, New Zealand and Tonga, to name just a few – techniques like the movement of the stars, the sun and moon, oceanic currents and bird and animal life.

The sailing odyssey is part of an effort by Polynesian academic and cultural groups to reclaim the navigational knowledge of their forebears, much of which was lost after European colonization.” Read more (official website). Previously: Polynesian stick charts / Satellite navigation in the 18th century / Developed nations dangerously over-reliant on GPS.

Historical Fish Landing Statistics

May 6, 2010 by kris de decker Filed Under: Fish, Fishing gear, Sailing ships

“Increases in fishing power, as Britain’s fishing boats transformed from a fleet of sailing boats to one made up of technologically sophisticated trawlers, did little to increase the ability to catch large amounts of fish. In 1889, a largely sail-powered fleet landed twice as much fish into Britain as the present-day fleet, the study found”. Read. Via.

Sailing Directly into the Wind

January 12, 2010 by kris de decker Filed Under: Boats, Sailing ships, Travel, Wind Power, Windmills

“In the late 90s/early 2000s my interest was in developing boats that can sail directly into the wind. To some, this seems impossible, and they find it hard to accept that it is possible to overcome the wind using the force of the wind itself. This technology has further implications also, it can allow a boat, or a buoy, to remain stationary in the water, unsecured, no matter how hard the wind blows without using any fuel. Having revived the project recently (2008) I am doing further research.”

I cannot help but admire the simplicity of the design. Find all information here.

Sailing Rockets

May 5, 2009 by kris de decker Filed Under: Boats, Racing, Sailing ships, Travel, Wind Power

This unconventional sailing boat, named the SailRocket, reached a record speed of 47.35 knots (87.6 km/h or 54.43 mph), on average over a distance of 500 meters. During another run, the boat reached a speed of 52 knots before lifting off
for a spectacular in-the-air wipeout (also caught on video). More below.

[Read more…]