Nonlinear two‐dimensional sail theory

Steady two‐dimensional flow past a sail is considered. The sail is assumed to be supported by two masts. The flow and the shape of the sail are determined as functions of the direction α of the flow at infinity and the Weber number λ. The full nonlinear problem is formulated as an integrodifferential equation for the shape of the sail. This equation is discretized and solved numerically by Newton’s method. Sail profiles, the slack in the sail, and the lift coefficient are presented for various values of α and λ.