Why so fast? detail
Aerodynamic; low runner friction; minimum drag wing
- low runner friction
- long runner blade
- extremely smooth and straight runner tip
- minimum amount of rocker to only enable essential steering
- runner tip sharpened to match ice and wind conditions
- must less drag of the iceboat runner over the ice than a typical sailboat would have in sailing in and over the water
- minimum drag wing
- sail (ie. wing) is designed to provide maximum driving coefficient: which means the lowest drag possible for the apparent wind angle of the wing
- low drag is achieved by:
- small coef. of wing drag
- camber of sail only matches typical apparent wind angle and no more - much flatter sail than a sailboat
- rotating mast to align with apparent wind
- jib or genoa is not used as would cause added drag
- small induced drag of wing
- tall rig with short boom
- boom is very close to deck of fuselage
- aerodynamic
- components are streamlined with minimal frontal area
- slender runner plank
- tear shaped mast
- body suits (some classes)
- oval fully enclosed fuselage (some classes)
- discussion
- all of the above combine to produce a boat that travels at 4 to 5 times the speed of the wind
- such speed multiples means the iceboat operates at apparent wind angles of less than 11 degrees (class dependent)
