I read earlier today that there is a company that has been researching how to improve airfoil technology by studying the fins of humpback whales. They're looking at incorperating it into wind turbine blades, as "Compared to smooth surface fins, the bumpy humpback ones have 32% less drag and an 8% increased lift in their movement through air or water."

This is the website of the company.
www.whalepower.com/drupal/?q=node/1

Reckon this would be of any use on windsurfing fins? One problem I can see is that for use on our fins, the bumps would have to be so small they would turn the leading edge into a serrated knife.

EDIT: I can't find the source of that quote on the actual whalepower.com website. The quoted text comes from number 4 on this website www.brainz.org/15-coolest-cases-biomimicry/

Maybe?
I've never seen a whale spin out but than again I've never seen a whale planing either!

Maybe Japan has a secret windpower project going on..... a pole with a car alternator on top with whale fins strapped to it???

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DavMen said...

Maybe?
I've never seen a whale spin out but than again I've never seen a whale planing either!

but they do swim at planning speed

A sailfish can do 60 knots.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sailfish

I wonder if its fins cavitate?

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DL said...

A sailfish can do 60 knots.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sailfish

I wonder if its fins cavitate?

But it is still not sailing so it doesn't count towards the record

i seem to remember Curtis fins pattern their fins after the orca whales fin a decade ago never took off though

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DavMen said...

Maybe?
I've never seen a whale spin out but than again I've never seen a whale planing either!

Dude, whales spin out all the time! Ever wonder why you don't see them planing? 'nuff said.

i cut off a few baby whale fins in previous seasons(rest of whale great sashimi BTW!)

and rammed them into my tuttle box with self tappers on the top........but to be honest they didn't plane early and felt like my dick would feel covered in warts.

i've been considering growing oysters on my car seats for something to do when i'm bored.

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jp747 said...

i seem to remember Curtis fins pattern their fins after the orca whales fin a decade ago never took off though

I kind of think that's nothing more than marketing mumbo jumbo. After all an orca fin is a flexible organic articulated thing. The only thing the Curtis fins had in common was the plan shape.

That sail fish tail might be an interesting shape for a fin. Its really quite high aspect and that pointy trailing tip might be a low drag feature.