Sailing Yacht Design Using Advanced Numerical Flow Techniques

Abstract

The 30th America's Cup will be held in New Zealand, commencing in October 1999. For the first time a Swiss team, the FAST2000 Challenge of the Club Nautique Morgien, will compete. Three laboratories of the EPFL (Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne) are collaborating with FAST2000 in the design of the boat that will race in the Cup challenges. Present-day design of IACC racing yachts relies on the use of numerical flow simulations to obtain a competitive edge. The computation of the complex hydrodynamic and aerodynamic flows around sailing yachts provides valuable information to supplement the more conventional empirical and experimental design techniques. Such flow simulations, however, are extremely challenging and thus often require state­of-the-art numerical techniques and computer technology. A number of the issues critical to IACC yacht design are discussed, and various approaches described to address them through the use of advanced numerical flow simulation.