Abstract
Foiling sailing yachts achieve high forward velocities. When sailing in high waves, crashes of the hull on the free surface can occur, leading to rapid deceleration and risk of injury to the crew. This article discusses the implementation of a dynamic velocity prediction program (DVPP) for an IMOCA 60 in order to predict when crashes occur. Simulating foiling in strong winds and high waves required extending the DVPP compared to the existing literature with a nonlinear representation of wave loads, a more realistic representation of the forces on the sail, and three-dimensional effects in the forces on the foil. After comparing the simulated response in waves to results from the literature, the DVPP of the IMOCA 60 was used to predict a crash. Analysis of the encountered crash events showed that they occurred as a result of an unfavorable phase relation between the vertical position of the yacht and the free surface elevation in following waves.
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