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Why do racing sailboats generally have curved sails rather than flat sails?

April 26, 2017curved flat racing sailboats sails

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Why do racing sailboats generally have curved sails rather than flat sails?

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A curved sail inflates with a wind and it creates an airfoil shape. As subsequent wind passes around the sail (airfoil), negative pressure is felt out front of and on the leeward side of the sail. This causes the surrounding air to rush into the sail and push the boat further. This sail/airfoil action is compounded, as the boat travels faster, the wind around the sail creates more negative pressure, causing the boat to travel faster causing more negative pressure and so forth. Flat sails cannot form an airfoil shape.