A REAL TIME DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR THE ADJUSTMENT OF SAILBOAT RIGGING
Inmaculada Ortigosa,
Julio García-Espinosa,
Marcel la Castells
Affiliations
Inmaculada Ortigosa
The International Center for Numerical Methods in Engineering (CIMNE), Department of Nautical Sciences and Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), BarcelonaTech, Barcelona, Spain
Julio García-Espinosa
The International Center for Numerical Methods in Engineering (CIMNE), Department of Nautical Sciences and Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), BarcelonaTech, Barcelona, Spain
Marcel la Castells
The International Center for Numerical Methods in Engineering (CIMNE), Department of Nautical Sciences and Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), BarcelonaTech, Barcelona, Spain
The operational complexity and performance requirements of modern racing yachts demand the use of advanced applications, such as a decision support system (DSS) able to assist crew members during navigation. In this article, the authors describe a near-time computational solver as the main piece of a DSS which analyses and monitors the behaviour of sails and rigging. The solver is made up of two different interconnected tools: an iterative Fluid-Structure Interaction algorithm and an advanced Wireless Sensor Network to monitor rigging. The real-time DSS quantifies crew manoeuvres in physical terms, which are reproduced by a simulation program. It can be used in the design phase of sailing yachts and as an aid for real-time boat performance optimisation and accident prevention. This novel DSS is a useful tool for navigation, especially in races.
