Face upwind, with a purpose. An essay on wings, winds, and sails and their application to life.

I recount seemingly limitless hours, sitting in any given window seat, my head pressed against a plastic window cover, watching the big wing of an airplane do what seemed to be impossible.  My favorite moments were when the plane started to descend.  Every few minutes the flaps would drop, extending the wing a few inches, increasing lift, while increasing drag, allowing the plane to slow down but still fly.  The ailerons on the tip of the wings would rise and fall constantly, keeping the plane level with the horizon as it headed towards the ground.  The flaps continue to extend and drop impossibly low.

  Soon the wheels drop out of the plane and lock into place with a thud.  The wind noise increases and the plane slows.  As soon as the wheels touch the pilot raises the air brakes, (panels on top of the wings that raise almost vertical), which halts the flow of the wind across the top of the wing, essentially ceasing all lift and assuring the airplane stays on the ground.

The air rushing across the wing is what gives it the ability to lift an airplane.  A typical wing is curved on the top, and flat on the bottom.  As the air rushes across the top of the wing, it is compressed by the curve and speeds up.  When it speeds up it creates an area of low pressure, relative to the high pressure below the wing.  There are formulas regarding this that put the normal person to sleep, including me.  Suffice it to say, that this difference in the pressures is what enables a wing to hold an airplane up.  All that is required is something to move the wing through the air.  Thrust does this, via a propeller or jet engine.

On an airplane, the wing is horizontal.

A sailboat has a wing, (or wings), as well.  There are several major differences between a sail and an airplane wing, but here are the basic three:

1)  A sailboat wing, or the sail, is vertical in relation to the craft.
2)  The sail is not rectangular like an airplane wing.  It is wider at the bottom than the top – a sail is more like a triangle.

      3)  A sailboat does not use the thrust from an engine or propeller to move the wing to generate its ‘lift’.  It uses the wind itself.

The fabric of a sail is cut so that as the wind flows across the plane of the sail it expands its shape.  The sail has a greater curve at the front than at the rear.  The basic physics behind an airplane wing is exactly the same as a sail.

                                              

So why am I rambling on about this?  Bear with me, there is a point.

Refer back to difference number 3, above.  A sailboat doesn’t use an engine or propeller to move air across the sail.  As a sail is raised, the blowing wind fills the sail and gives it its airfoil shape.  Being an airfoil, the sail is much more efficient cutting into the wind.  The wind first touches the leading edge and then crosses the airfoil and departs the sail at the trailing edge.  When this happens the sail ‘lifts’ the boat, or rather, pulls it, horizontally across the water.  The keel at the bottom of the boat keeps the sail from dragging the craft, effectively squeezing the water between the keel and the sail, causing the boat to shoot forward.

So what happens when the boat starts moving forward?  The wind speed increases.  What happens when the wind speed increases?  The wing/sail pulls harder, which increases the speed of the boat, which increases the wind.  Finally the boat reaches a maximum speed that it can go, due to the drag of a boat’s hull in the water.  Different hull designs have varying theoretical max hull speeds.   So as you can see, a sailboat makes its own wind.

One might believe that a sailboat is more efficient sailing downwind, with the sail acting like a big parachute, catching the wind, and pulling the boat.  However the fastest the boat could possibly ever go is the same speed as the wind.  But when you consider the drag of a hull, the downwind speed decreases significantly.  Downwind for a sailboat is very inefficient.

The most efficient direction is to angle into the wind, roughly 45 degrees off-center.  A sailboat needs the wind at its face to be the most efficient.  If the sailor turns loose of the tiller, the sailboat will naturally try to correct itself and drive straight into the wind.  Slightly off center is where it needs to be.

This is very applicable in life as well.

A person might choose to take the easy route in life and cruise downwind.  Sure, one might just sit back and watch, but there is no efficiency.  Where is the satisfaction of the wind and waves in your face and knowing something has been conquered?

 

Do we give our children everything they want, allowing them to sit comfortably as the boat just bounces in the waves, with the wind pushing them where ever it may go?  Perhaps we should turn them into the wind, show them how to strategically maneuver into the winds of life.  Perhaps we should show them how to use challenges to advance their knowledge.  Show them how to adjust to changes in their environment, just as a sailor adjusts his sails, to maximize the benefit of the winds.

Or as adults do we want to live off the government, having it provide for our needs while we sit by doing the minimum and receive our monthly welfare check?  Where is the challenge and the satisfaction in that?  Wouldn’t we rather trim our sails, point our faces into the wind, and watch our lives become efficient and successful?  Shouldn’t we choose the direction we want to travel, rather than be blown like a feather in the wind, or lead like a sheep to where ever the government takes us?

What is the theoretical maximum capability of a human being?  Unlike a sailboat, it’s difficult to put a cap on it.  A sailboat has a given amount of drag.  How much drag do we put on ourselves in life?  Do we just throw up our sails and hope that the winds will be strong enough to get us somewhere, while we burden ourselves with debt and self-induced health problems?  Do we use the inefficiencies of government tax and spend to get us through life?

We would be better to reduce the drag in our lives, face the winds, trim our sails, and watch the benefits of our hard work increase tenfold to what we might have once have considered our maximum potential.

We should be challenging ourselves.  Do that, and we too, can make our own wind.  How do we do this?  It is not easy to be successful.  Whatever one's chosen field, put forth the greatest effort you can.  Let go of those things that burden you, that weigh you down, hold you back, or otherwise prevent your successes from moving you forward.  Don't burden yourself with unnecessary debt.  Don't let other people take control of your tiller and steer you away from your goals.  Sometimes we may have to kick people off the boat!  When your successes move you forward, those successes can't help but to generate more opportunities to increase your well being.   This is making your own success - making your own wind!

Face upwind, with a purpose.