Skimming along, really fast
Cue the music: (“Bat Out Of Hell” by Meatloaf”. Fasten the seatbelt on your Barcalounger. Life jacket, too (although that’s more for atmostphere than necessity). Now, read the article: Sailrocket.
Somebody with an imaginative concept has managed to push the limits of sailing speed to new world records. Over 59 knots. Add to the equation (because we all do mental math whenever, wherever) the recorded wind speed of just over 30 knots. Now the question: How did he do it?
Forget all that stuff about drag that you sort of learned back during high school physics. Drop the idea that it might have been due to slippery water (what we call ice up here in Canada). This was down, off the coast of South Africa, where summer is nigh and sailboats do stuff that I can’t fathom.
This is not the sailing ship of yore. No barnacle coated hull, or a deep keep. Think of something that has just enough cargo space to allow one crazy on board. Like one of those super streamline bicycles, but with a sail instead of pedals. I’ve looked at the pictures, but I’m still no clearer on the concept. However, if I get around to building a punt, I’m going to dream big. Rowing at the speed of sound!
Larry Hagman is gone. Try to imagine Jeannie, with a bottle and no colonel. Or Dallas, without the bad dude in the silly hat.
I took a look at the local Black Friday flyers, realized that I couldn’t afford to drop any cash on a new computer monitor, and headed over to eBay where I reverse bid to get a DVI-to-HDMI adapter for under $5. That’s how you do it, when realism wins out over advertised dreams.
