The name Vlad Murnikov is familiar to many of our readers, especially those who follow sailing speed records. Vlad is the designer and ideologist of the project to build the «fastest sailing boat in the world» - SpeedDream. The other day the team's creative director Brian Hancock told us what they see as a SpeedDream boat in the future. We offer our readers translation of Hancock's article published in the project blog.
Just a few years ago, the idea of huge catamarans floating at 40 knots seemed ridiculous, but that's how it happened in the last «America»'s Cup. We don't have a magic ball, and we can't see what the future holds, but perhaps a rich imagination is enough to predict.
After all, once the idea of a flying catamaran was just someone's fantasy.
The SpeedDream team is imaginative and we draw the future of our boat and imagine what it will be like. Is it going to fly? If so, will it be able to cross the ocean? If so, the question is, «when?»In five, ten years? The future is a stretchable concept, and it is clear that at a certain point we will cross the ocean, spending as much time as we do in water. But why wait? Why not imagine the future and start working in this direction right now to make it a reality? What does it take to lift a boat in the air and to be able to keep it there?
«I think it might look like an enlarged «moth». Let's call it «the Ocean Moth», - offers designer of SpeedDream Vlad Murnikov. - It will get longitudinal wings, not transverse. By placing one wing in front of the other, you are able to keep the boat stable, staying on the same wave profile and avoiding the difficulties the boat is familiar with. L'Hydroptère.who has divorced»wings.
A future SpeedDream yacht needs wings to break away from the water surface, not for stability. For this we have a branded Flying Keel and it works perfectly.
«I believe we can do more than just a flying boat," continues Murnikov. - Imagine a keel capable of deflecting more than 90 degrees. Is it possible? What will it look like? We see it as a keel attached to a ring, it's scrolling around the boat, like an engagement ring turning around your finger. In fact, not only have we imagined it, but we've also filed a patent for Magic Ring Keel. Thanks to the internal motor, you can turn the ring and set the keel at any angle. Ninety, one hundred and twenty degrees - whatever you want».
What's that for?
Behind the speed «of the moth» is the ability to go against the wind, creating a huge amount of lifting power in the sail. That's why the boat is dynamically stable, allowing it to hold its wings securely. Why not do this trick with our futuristic SpeedDream? We could lift the boat and then use an algorithm to keep the keel parallel to the water and turn the boat against the wind. In addition, to increase dynamic stability and adjust the angle of the keel, another algorithm would adjust the telescopic part of the keel, extending or shortening it depending on the wind force. Unbelievable? These days, modern autopilots will give many of us a head start in boating.
Too futuristic an idea? Possibly, but most likely, it's feasible.
