Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

This section answer some of the top questions about the Sailfish Yacht Analyzer and how to use it. For updates to this information, as well as samples of yacht designs, please visit the web site at www.techsail.com/sailfish. You can also provide feedback about this product by sending an email to support@techsail.com.

What is The Sailfish Yacht Analyzer?

The Sailfish Yacht Analyzer is a tool for analyzing the performance of a sailing yacht. It is built upon a series of algorithms for representation a sailing yacht with a mathematical model. Thus, you don't need to know anything about the math to be able to use it. You only have to enter your geometric data of your yacht and the program will do the rest.

What are the key features of The Sailfish Yacht Analyzer?

The Sailfish Yacht Analyzer has several key features:

Powerful Polar diagram generating capabilities
A semi graphic user interface
On line and context sensitive help
Imports existing report (.YML) files
Direct control over all parameters
Wizard to help you with the tricky parameters

What is a Polar diagram?

The polar diagram shows the boat speed for different wind directions and speed. A polar diagram is a diagram where boat speed are plotted for each wind direction. For one wind speed, you will get one speed curve from the smallest beating angle to running with the wind from back. Since the wind speed may vary, there are a number of speed curves plotted in the same diagram. One for each wind speed.

What is figure of merit?

Figure of merit, is a number of parameters or ratios commonly used for comparing different sailing yachts. A typical example is the Sail Area/Displacement. For more details consult your on-line help.

Will The Sailfish Yacht Analyzer work with previous versions of Sailfish Yacht Analyzer?

Yes. The Sailfish Yacht Analyzer will read report files produced by all previous versions of Sailfish Yacht Analyzer. Files saved or exported by the Sailfish Yacht Analyzer are compatible with Sailfish Yacht Analyzer. However, exported report files may not function properly outside of your application due to inherent formatting or data source dependencies.

How do I get future releases of The Sailfish Yacht Analyzer?

Visit the Techsail web site for feature and pricing information, when available.

Where can I find out more?

There is a special web site dedicated to information and updates about the Sailfish Yacht Analyzer and other technology areas about sailing. This site includes a Link section where you can find data and technical papers about yachts. The URL for this site is: http://www.techsail.com/sailfish