Crosswind components

Same as a sailboat.
Can go much faster than the wind.


Actually, sailing is different because of the interaction of the keel and the
water. You can't go faster than hull speed, but ignoring that you could
theoretically go faster than the wind, if you were going at 90 degrees to it.
You can even sail INTO the wind.

You can't, however, run before the wind faster than the wind (unless you have
one humongus current)

Jose


--
(for Email, make the obvious changes in my address)

On Thu, 26 Feb 2004 at 02:43:58 in message
, Teacherjh
wrote:
You can't, however, run before the wind faster than the wind (unless you have
one humongus current)

Yes you can. The ability to do so depends on the relative forces between
the water and the second medium. Sand and Ice yachts can readily
demonstrate a course speed downwind faster that the wind. In effect they
are tacking downwind. If you are being very precise then you cannot run
before the wind faster than the wind because running before the wind
depends only on drag and not on lift.
--
David CL Francis

Sand and Ice yachts can readily
demonstrate a course speed downwind faster that the wind.


Straight downwind? So they would be overtaking the wind? Howdeydodat?


In effect they
are tacking downwind.


Oh, then they are not "running" before the wind, they are sidestepping to some
degree.

Jose

--
(for Email, make the obvious changes in my address)

On 24 Feb 2004 07:13:17 -0800, (James L. Freeman) wrote:

Can someone offer a non-mathematical EXPLANATION (as opposed to
DESCRIPTION) of why the speed of headwind and crosswind components of
a wind add up to more than the speed of the wind?

Thanks.

Sure -- just liken it to the fact that it takes longer to walk around a
circle than straight across it.