Yachts

Yacht Reaseach Unit

The Yacht Research Unit at the University of Auckland is at the forefront of yacht aerodynamic simulations and performance prediction.

The Twisted Flow Wind Tunnel (TFWT) has been designed as a research tool specifically to simulate the flow of wind over yacht sails. The wind tunnel accurately models the wind structure as seen by a yacht moving through the water. This advanced technology has been used by many commercial clients, including Volvo Ocean Race, Open 60 and America's Cup syndicates.

The wind tunnel gives designers the opportunity to build and test a variety of sails and rigs for a fraction of the full scale cost. Since 1994 the Yacht Research Unit has tested sails for many of the top sailing campaigns around the globe.The wind tunnel has also been instrumental in the development of the revolutionary VSPARS sail and rig position system. This system can be used both in the wind tunnel and at full scale to determine the sail flying shape and the rig deflection in real time.