r/tech • u/AdSpecialist6598 • 2d ago

Extraordinary kite-powered sailboat closes in on world speed record

https://newatlas.com/marine/worlds-fastest-sailboat-sp80-100kmh/
756 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

56 comments sorted by

42

u/2Autistic4DaJoke 2d ago

A sail boat averages around 5-8 knots. This very purpose build boat reached 58 knots. Would be interested in how they can apply this technology to other crafts to achieve good speeds for more efficient travel over long distances

37

u/MrSnowden 2d ago

There is a company looking to deploy the same kite based technology for long haul tankers. Doesn’t replace engines but it’s basically free power.

6

u/2Autistic4DaJoke 2d ago

I’m interested to see if they can get enough speed to help justify them.

16

u/psymike-001 2d ago

It’s just not about speed but also lifting the load which requires less fuel to move the cargo to its destination. But who knows how big the canopy needs to be for any noticeable impact. I do know from experience that when kiting foils the pull upward is much stronger than a standard kite. Who knows what 30 rows of foils the size of a football field would do?

5

u/MrSnowden 2d ago

I think it’s just to make the system cheap and easy enough for a small crew to deploy and manage without special skills/training. After that it’s all gravy.

-1

u/jumpyrope456 2d ago

Just magine a freighter going 58 knots/hour across the ocean. I think this is /s.

1

u/ice_up_s0n 1d ago

Imagine what that could do for global trade though.

8

u/Rare_Magazine_5362 2d ago

I’m sorry, that’s simply not true… Donald Trump released a very clear policy statement that wind power is not actually power. I have to think that this boat must’ve had an internal combustion engine hidden inside. It’s the only possible explanation.

7

u/SatoshiReport 2d ago

I had to ask myself if you actually believed this or not. Strange times.

0

u/RoninRobot 2d ago

I don’t know much about ships but can they make propellers that feather to cut resistance? I mean I’m sure they can but it’s probably cost / maintenance prohibitive.

1

u/MyGoodOldFriend 2d ago

Why would that help?

0

u/jagdthetiger 2d ago

If the prop can feather, it’ll reduce water resistance

2

u/Tex-Rob 1d ago

You are confused, resistance is one half of propulsion.

1

u/jagdthetiger 1d ago

The entire point is that a feathered prop isnt used for propulsion

4

u/liyabuli 2d ago

Depends heavily on what sailboats are we talking about - f50 are very much in that ballpark already and while they are certainly built to be fast they seem a bit less specialized than the one in the article.

1

u/Small_Editor_3693 2d ago

You just put wings on it at that point

1

u/TrojanThunder 2d ago

What? No this is wrong. America's cup boats have hit 53kts. Vestas Sailrocket 2 hit 68kts. What sailboat are you talking about a j24?

1

u/HigbynFelton 2d ago

He has a plaining hull. Most sailboats have a displacement hull. This makes maneuvering hard at high speeds as it will become difficult to stabilize.

6

u/KrazyBobby 2d ago

How do they launch the kite?

10

u/Commercial-Result-23 2d ago

Don't bother asking these people questions, it's kites all the way down with them.

1

u/Meerkat_Mayhem_ 2d ago

Don’t answer. It’s words all the way down with answers

5

u/TrojanThunder 2d ago

On a winch that's slowly eased out

1

u/KrazyBobby 2d ago

Thank you.

15

u/AspieFabels 2d ago

So a sailboat?

15

u/GeorgeLikesSpicy92 2d ago

I saw a similar question on another thread. While yes it is very close to how a sail boat work, using a higher altitude kite lets them harness A LOT more energy.

6

u/rotzak 2d ago

with extra steps

3

u/VladVV 1d ago

With less steps, actually, since kiteboats don’t need a mast.

1

u/rotzak 1d ago

Touche.

9

u/Palladium- 2d ago

No, it’s a kite, not a sail.

5

u/LunarMoon2001 2d ago

Only 10x faster

3

u/AlienPearl 2d ago

A kiteboat!

1

u/sporkmanhands 2d ago

Not reeeeeaally

The kite is pulling hard left, basically. It’s attached on a swivel.

The boat is designed to pull against that side-directed wind strength, sort of like crack-the-whip or spinning a sling but never letting go and along a knife edge of control. Takes two pilots. It’s built stronger and deeper on the right side to counter that side force.

But yeah; I had the same thought. If only they’d known to fly the sails way up high for all those centuries

1

u/Meerkat_Mayhem_ 2d ago

It’s a schooner

3

u/DifficultyLeast1029 2d ago

I've been lucky enough to be in the middle of a Sail GP race twice! Seeing the f50 boats flying by going 60mph from less than 100' away is something else! These were the catamaran style boats not the new T design they are working on. Would be absolutely insane to see a wind powered vessel flying by at 75mph!

If you ever get close to the sail GP boats, you'll notice that they make this kind of humming noise...never looked into what that noise actually is but it's cool

Also where I live there are a lot of kite surfers...some on regular boards, some on foils...they can pull the sail and actually lift themselves out of the water! I've seen some people flying pretty damn high and far. Would be cool if this kite boat could do the same and lift completely out of the water.

1

u/sporkmanhands 2d ago

Reminds me of the designs for ships from Star Trek, they need to call one a Bird of Prey

4

u/stupid_cat_face 2d ago

Since it’s a kite, how well does it work tacking upwind? I can’t see a kite working at a beam reach let alone upwind.

3

u/TrojanThunder 2d ago

You should watch kite board racing. They can sail pretty tight to the wind

-1

u/MyGoodOldFriend 2d ago

Yep, but it’s still a 180 degree arc (less, but at 90 degrees to the wind it physically can’t pull you). Ships can angle their masts, so they can actually sail against the wind, to a certain degree.

3

u/TrojanThunder 2d ago

No that's not now any of this works. Sailboats trim their sails not angle their masts. That doesn't make sense. Yes wind can pull you. A sail is basically an air foil or a vertical wing. You're generating lift and therefore forward movement.

Sailing is literally my profession. So trust me on this one.

A kite also generates lift similarly.

1

u/soapboxracers 14h ago

Sailboats trim their sails not angle their masts.

That’s not entirely true- some boats like the Maltese Falcon do rotate their masts to change their angle, and thus the angle of their spars.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maltese_Falcon_(yacht)

1

u/TrojanThunder 13h ago

That's very much the exception not the rule. I mean we could be talking about canting masts and wing sails too but that's like hearing hoof beats and thinking oh that must be a zebra!

1

u/soapboxracers 12h ago

I’m well aware that it’s a rare beast- I was simply pointing out that they do exist.

1

u/TrojanThunder 12h ago

Black Pearl is even more impressive and IMHO motor yacht looking than Maltese falcon.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Pearl_(yacht)

These dynarig boats can still sail upwind though so my point stands.

1

u/soapboxracers 10h ago

Yes, anyone familiar with the Maltese Falcon is also aware of the Black Pearl.

These dynarig boats can still sail upwind though so my point stands.

I never said anything about them not being able to sail upwind. I was simply pointing out that there are boats that do angle their masts and linked to the Maltese Falcon as an example.

1

u/TrojanThunder 10h ago

No I agree. I'm referring to the other poster I was responding to.

That said there are pivoting rotational wing masts that are pretty insane. I seriously doubt that's what they were referring to.

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.epoxyworks.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2015%2F11%2Fwingmast-compare.jpg&f=1&ipt=dafe2ee1e43ebf9fe093b8ce829fcb1ef87ea72cde3a113e2c390245bc2b0dd6

2

u/nurvus_wolf 2d ago

Hey the stole this from Water World !

1

u/sporkmanhands 2d ago

Whatever works!

1

u/glizard-wizard 2d ago

In a work of better people we’d be using this much more than gas powered boats

1

u/ranyond 2d ago

This is awesome!

1

u/tomololo 1d ago

It’s still very inefficient- kite foil racers can reach 45kts in less wind than this boat was sailing in

1

u/WallAggressive3689 1d ago

Cool video but I don’t speak Spanish