The objective of this study is to perform a comparative study of the performance of
two Olympic racing-canoes in the presence of lateral wind. This collaborative work
gathers some experimental measurements of the ship kinematics and geometrical
model, numerical simulations for both aerodynamic and hydrodynamic effects and a mechanical
analysis of the performance.
A high-fidelity Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) solver has been used for steady and
unsteady aerodynamic and hydrodynamic simulations, including turbulence and
free-surface effects, for different wind conditions. Experimental measures, carried out
during real races, allowed to use a realistic kinematic model for the ship movements.
Results are considered to provide a mechanical analysis of the two racing-canoe
performances and
provide practical advises for different wind conditions
