Sailing SV Delosvideo
Designing Sails for Our CUSTOM Catamaran!
June 10, 2026 · 13 min · 119K views
Catamaran sail design with wind flow analysis displayed
What this video covers
Brian interviews Johan from Quantum Sails about the sail design process for Delos 2.0, the crew's custom catamaran build.0:03 Johan walks through Quantum's proprietary FSI (fluid-structure interaction) software called IQ, which models airflow over sails and simultaneous structural deformation together — not as separate static calculations — to simulate how a sail actually trims and settles under load.2:08 The tool ingests a full sail plan with all attachment points, sheet runs, track positions, and hardware locations, then generates color-mapped strain distributions showing where loads concentrate and where fabric weakens or wrinkles.4:18 A direct comparison between Hydranet (from Dimension Polyant) and a standard six-ounce Dacron crosscut sail at identical sheet tension shows the Dacron stretching and wrinkling significantly more, particularly at the leech.7:51 The simulation also models a reefed mainsail at 16 knots true wind, assessing reef point reinforcement heights and clew position.10:19 IQ is described as a validation tool, not a design replacement — the designer's expertise and sail library still drive initial choices.8:17 The runs confirmed Hydranet as the fabric for Delos 2.0.11:52 Sails are still months from delivery at the time of recording.12:12
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