Need Inspiration for your Next Project?

[GregHBBR]

The Subject Line says it all...

I can't believe this only has 68 views (when I was pointed to it!)

Ignore the first minute or so of what I'm sure all the marine types here will find terribly dull...  It gets increasingly intriguing as it goes on!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=QqD-V57V1_E

[Jeremy]

Brilliant!  I don't think I've ever heard of a sail-driven train before.

I have thought about building something like these, though: http://www.windenergyevents2011.com/

[simplesimon]

Pity the course is upwind only - methinks an upwind-downwind course (or even an oval) might be interesting.

Simon

[Jeremy]

It would indeed, especially for those who still doubt that vehicles like these can go downwind faster than the wind.  In theory they should be able to go directly upwind faster than the wind, too, but I've heard nothing from the Blackbird team to say they've managed this yet (http://www.fasterthanthewind.org/).

The "directly downwind faster than the wind" argument raged on Boat Design for a fair time a year or two ago, with a fairly significant number of people whom I'd formerly thought were quite rational having a problem believing it was possible.   Blackbird, and a couple of other vehicles since, I believe) have shown it's possible to go downwind much faster than wind speed (2.8 times faster in the case of Blackbird), so all the naysayers have had to eat a bit of humble pie............