Another windy day today for the sailing event, and a particularly good day for the U.S. Olympic Sailing Team who ended up accruing solid/powerful results.
Sailing is one of those tricky sports where the weather can make or break not only who wins, but how it is won. Back in 2008 at the Beijing Olympics, six races were cancelled due to a complete lack of wind. Winds started off light, and they delayed four of the races, but then winds continued to weaken, eventually causing officials to cancel all six events in one day.
 |
| USA Sailing at London Olympics Courtesy: Wired |
Wind: Obviously, this is vital for this sport. If you have a wind that comes across the boat, the air coming in from the side can be redirected toward the rear by the sailor. When the wind goes in the same direction as the boat, it is much easier since the force of the wind simply pushes on the sail.
A run is when you sail within about 30 degrees either side of dead downwind. This is often the preferred method of sailing since it is the most agreeable, but requires constant attention.
“We were happy with conditions both days,” said U.S. Sailing team member Erik Storck about the weather at Tuesday’s event. “We had a good game plan for the fourth race that we executed. We like flat water and breeze, and expect to have more the next few days.”
Humidity:
When the humidity is relatively high, less lift is produced on the sails. Very humid air could also reduce the drag on the sails in the right wind/temperature conditions. Both of these “problems” can be corrected as long as the sailors maintain constant attention
 |
| Courtesy: Sailfeed |
No comments:
Post a Comment