| The basics |
Sailing is a fun, subtle, fascinating sport that complements programming well.
It clears your head in a healthy, enjoyable, environmentally friendly way
after you've finished the lastest round of awesome features on your current software project.
When I was in grad school and the University of Illinois
sailing club,
most of the sailors were in computer science.
Most people like the excitement of blasting downwind at full speed, or maybe just floating along in any direction on a nice warm, sunny day. I've always loved the subtle balance of forces that propels a sailboat upwind, powered only by the energy of wind trying to push you the other way. To me, the ultimate sailboat is one that goes almost as fast upwind as it does downwind. |
| The physics of sailing | Multihulls, hydrofoils, and lots more. |
| Circumnavigation | Magellan, Drake, Cook, Slocum, the Golden Globe, and more. Don't forget your frying pan! |