Come Sail Away - In recognition of Marine Engineers & Naval Architects. Vol.5 #1

Our Posterity = Our Children

Posterity comes from Middle English posterite, from Anglo-French pusterite, from Latin posterus ("coming after")

“Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly, and get on with improving your other innovations.”

-Steve Jobs

This year marks 167 years that the New York Yacht Club beat out the Royal Yacht Squadron in what was then known as the 100 Guinea Cup. After this defeat, the race then became known as America's Cup. The race takes place between two sailing yachts and does not necessarily occur every year. It happens when the defender, the yacht club who currently holds the cup, is challenged by an opposing team. The date is then set by these two clubs. The next race is set to take place in 2021 in Auckland, New Zealand. The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron will defend the cup against the Luna Rosa Challenge.

In 2010, the United States participated in America's cup for the first time in over 15 years. They came to the event sporting an engineering marvel that had been added to their sailing vessel. They introduced a new kind of sail on their BMW Oracle Racing’s BOR 90A. The structure was 80% larger than the wing of a 747, measuring at 190 feet and weighing 1,770 lbs. Unlike a traditional sail, It was made of carbon fiber and kevlar and wrapped with aeronautical shrink film. This incredible engineering design helped the The Golden Gate Yacht Club win the race, which they had not won in over 20 years. For more information on the BMW Oracle and its sail visit the Fast Company website.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Marine Engineers and Naval Architects, "design, build, and maintain ships, from aircraft carriers to submarines and from sailboats to tankers. Marine engineers are responsible for the internal systems of a ship, such as the propulsion, electrical, refrigeration, and steering systems. Naval architects are responsible for the ship design, including the form, structure, and stability of hulls." They can also include the design of water structures such as docks, harbors and offshore drilling platforms. Though the sail on the BMW Oracle Racing’s BOR 90 was mainly designed by an aeronautics engineer (which we will discuss in the next newsletter on aerospace engineering) other engineering principals also had to be applied for this new type of sail to be successful including the design process.

Let's Build a Sail Car!

Let's teach our students the science behind sailing. In this activity, your students will understand what forces are at work to move a sail car and how the design of the body and the sail changes the behavior of the vessel. They will see how energy is transferred from the wind to make the car move. They will also see how both the energy in the wind and the movement of the car are both forms of kinetic energy. For this activity you will need: 10 disposable plastic drinking straws without bends, 4 wooden macramé beads, copy paper and masking tape. For more information on this activity, visit the Teach Engineering website.

Take advantage of this activity and remind your students the importance of the Design Process!