Can a sailboat travel faster than the wind?
Yes, it's possible, and not only on the lake in Hogwarts. The day of the week also doesn't matter! Usually, you can sail faster than the wind at 70° to 80°off the apparent wind (called a "close reach") than you can with the wind directly behind you. This is because you can trim the sails so that the wind flows over them to create a lift, much like an airplane wing, that propels the boat. So, you can go sailing any day of the week and any place outside Hogwarts, only these conditions are to be observed.
What are your thoughts on this subject?
54 Comments
dreamssea
Yes! It’s true! I’ll explain it this way. Place a wet watermelon seed between your thumb and forefinger and squeeze. The seed will shoot forward at great speed. It’s the same with the keel of a sailboat, the wind pressure pushes one side of the keel against the water on the other side causing it to shoot forward if the wind is aft of the beam.
Wendy Petty
While the answer gives some technical validity I researched this and; America’s Cup sailboats are sleek and fast. The AC72, the type of catamaran used, can travel almost three times the speed of the prevailing wind. On June 18th Emirates Team New Zealand recorded a speed of 50.8 mph (44.1 knots), with a wind speed of about 18 mph (15.6 knots). So while I thought not I am now enlightened.
Its all about saving across the wind not true downwind.
Cheryl Perkins
There will be a lot of sailing here in New Zealand in a few months for the America's Cup race.
Coral Harvey
dreamssea, good explanation!
Susan Lake-Harris
This was a fun question and I didn't mind getting it wrong!
Irene Townsend
Had problem with computer and came up with wrong answer
Char
Char, joke
Char
Alan B Mitchell, a jokr
fdeisner
Can you go twice as fast on Lake Hogwarts on Thursday? ⛵ 😆
JohnnyRoulette
Of course it can. It’s heavier than the wind. If the wind gets it going the weight of the boat will also be adding to the speed
illonabird
dreamssea, Great explanation. I would never have thought of that example.
Cheryl Perkins
Darlene Davidson, I have had that in an earlier quiz, but no Kudos I'm afraid.
Richard G Schwartz
What if there is no wind at all?
tbear
Todd Cates, 👍😊
Suraya Choudhury
I got it !
Effren Hernandez
Not only then, but also, since the wind does not have a constant speed, you can go from a faster wind into a slower wind and for that short period of time, you will go faster than the wind.
John McLardie
tesla alset, how would you know?