Visualising Airflow over a Sail —

<p>The flow of air around a sail is very different to that of a wing, but both generate significant lift force. Ignazio Maria Viola at the University of Edinburgh studied sails in numerical simulations and experiments to discover the force comes from vortices that are produced at the edges of the sail. By controlling the strength and location of these vortices he hopes to be able to produce faster and more efficient sails in the future.<br /> </p>

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vtas3rTHQxQ