Re: sailing upwind?

[Ludwik Kowalski <KowalskiL@MAIL.MONTCLAIR.EDU>]

Thanks for the description, John, it was a real New Year gift.
I hope your message will lead to other working models and to
descriptions of them on our list. In particular I would like to
hear about a boat floating directly into the wind. Was it ever
patented? Was it ever tried? If it is possible in principle then
why not in practice? Needs to navigate against wind existed
for centuries (especially before steam engines). Where was
"our mother of inventions"?

Rolling friction can be reduced (without introducing slippage)
more effectively than water resistance. I am still skeptical about
the working aquatic version. But not as skeptical as before.

The original questions were:

> Do the laws of physics permit a boat to go directly upwind,
> powered by wind alone?

> Isn't it possible, in principle, to "sail" directly into the wind
> by driving a (submerged) propeller with a wind-driven turbine?

Ludwik Kowalski