Airfoil section optimization for use in sailboat foils

Abstract

In recent years we have been witnesses of an extraordinary development in sailing technology. All aspects of the sport have benefited from the advancement of computational tools. Computational fluid dynamics, finite element analysis of structures, and optimization tools can increasingly be found in the bag of tricks of designers. In this article we will present a methodology and a tool to treat the design of sailboat foils. The methodology is grounded in the adequate use of current technologies, scaling them when deemed necessary. The construction of a model that includes the treatment of geometrical and structural constrains at the same time using currently available tools will be described.