Photo by Martha Blanchfield / Renegade Sailing

The SSC's February Volunteer Event started with a terrific video from the MIT Archives, titled Sailing by Computer, but it didn't end there. The 1966 video focused on the use of model testing to predict performance characteristics for America's Cup yachts. To add value to the event, SSC volunteers provided insights into the difficulties of this approach compared to modern numerical solutions. The turnout was strong and attendees went away having learned a little more about yacht design than when they started.

This puzzler is designed to teach Archimedes' Principle, and to challenge people to think through its application. Archimedes' Principle is a physical law that is applied throughout ship and yacht design to ensure that vessels will float, that they are stable, and that the loads they encounter can be withstood. The principle is stated below.

The video below may be helpful to your understanding. Good luck on the puzzler!

To share the above concepts in the form of a hands-on demonstration, we have designed Version 3 of the Archimedes Puzzler exhibit, complete with a water-level amplifier to make any change in water level easy to see.

Thank you to Mina Matsumoto for sharing a link to a site called Iceberger that lets you draw a two-dimensional iceberg to see how it will float. This demonstrates an area of naval architecture, called hydrostatics, that uses Archimedes' Principle to predict how ships and boats will float. Try it out. It's fun!

Thanks to Victoria Marcus, the new all-ceramic, microwave- and dishwasher-safe SSC Coffee Mugs are here! Even though we call them coffee mugs, they do a fine job with other beverages... like rum. We will be offering periodic opportunities to get these one-of-a-kind items (see Archimedes Puzzler above). They will eventually go on sale.

Vendée Globe

The Vendee Globe is the pinnacle of offshore yacht racing and, together with the America's Cup, epitomizes the intersection of sailing and science. The current event started on November 8, and as of this writing, all of the boats had finished, save one. To replay the race, you can see the tracking map.

SSC contributor, Olivia Malterre had the following to say about this latest edition of the event.

21,638 miles, 33 skippers, 3 capes, 90 days, 19 foilers, 9 citizenships. The non-stop solo yacht race around the world is probably my favorite sports event ever. The Vendée Globe–The Everest of the Seas–is a one-of-a-kind challenge that a small group of men and women meet to do every 4 years. It starts on the French West Coast. The skippers must descend the Atlantic to reach the Indian Ocean, and then head across the Pacific Ocean and return up to the Atlantic.

What struck me most in this year’s edition was the record-high number of six women skippers! I have to admit that Clarisse Crémer was one of my favorites. Her positive energy, her technical skills and her will to share her journey kept me energized for the whole race. :) The performance of Damien Seguin was remarkable as well: in spite of his disability–Damien was born with one hand–he finished in the 7th position. And of course, I had to mention Jean Le Cam, or Le Roi Jean, who showed how much of a demigod he by saving the life of another skipper, lost at sea while following one of the best trajectories for this year’s edition.

What I love most about the Vendée Globe is not only that it reminds me of my childhood in France, but that it is used by thousands of schools and teachers there to teach students about climate change, geography and meteorology.

It is a great source of inspiration for the SSC!

Email your inquiries to info@sailingscience.org.

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