America's Cup

(SFX: water sounds, sailing, sounds, race start sounds  )

     THE AMERICA'S CUP IS THE GRAND PRIX OF SAILING RACES AND THIS YEAR AN
HISTORIC ALL-FEMALE CREW HAS ENTERED THE FRAY.  DETERMINED TO WIN THE
PRESTIGIOUS CUP, THE WOMEN HAVE BEEN PRACTICING 7 DAYS A WEEK FOR
MONTHS--UP AT 6:00 FOR CALISTHENICS AND WEIGHT LIFTING,  THEN A LONG DAY ON
THE BOAT AND FINALLY HOME AGAIN TO GET READY FOR THE NEXT GRUELING DAY. 
BUT THEY ARE NOT THE ONLY ONES GETTING READY FOR THE RACE SAYS ONE CREW
MEMBER, A FORMER NASA AEROSPACE ENGINEER, SUSIE LEECH NAIRN:

     Nairn:"It's not just us out there sailling, there's many other sides to it."

     THE OTHER SIDE CONSISTS OF A HUGE TEAM OF SCIENTISTS TRYING TO BUILD
THE PERFECT BOAT.  THE BOAT HAS TO MOVE SWIFTLY AND SMOOTHLY THROUGH
BOTH WIND AND WATER, WHICH FROM A PHYSICS STANDPOINT BOTH MOVE LIKE
FLUIDS. ONE DESIGN TEAM ENGINEER FERNANDO FRIMM SAYS THEY ANALYZE THE
FLUID DYNAMICS OF HOW AIR AND WATER RUSH PAST THE BOAT IN THREE SECTIONS. 

     Frimm: "The first part is out of the water. . . completely in the air, which are the sails. . .  the
second part is part in the air and part in the water, which is the hull, and the third part . . .is completely
underwater . . . which are the keels. "

     FRIMM STUDIES THE KEEL--THAT'S THE PART THAT STICKS DOWN INTO THE
WATER--AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND WIND TUNNEL ANALYZING HOW TWO
IMPORTANT FORCES--LIFT AND DRAG--WILL ACT ON THE KEEL IN THE WATER.  LIFT IS
WHAT ACTUALLY PUSHES THE BOAT FORWARD AND DRAG HAS THE POTENTIAL TO
SLOW IT DOWN. 

     Frimm: "If it wasn't for the keel, when the wind blows on the sails, the boat would slip sideways.
so the keel. . . holds the boat straight. . . Now in the process of holding the boat in position. . . it creates
drag. so we need to be sure when it creates this drag, it doesn't create too much drag. "

     NAIRN SAYS THAT SHE TOO PAYS ATTENTION TO THESE FORCES WHILE ON THE
BOAT.

     Nairn: I  studied fluid dynamics in school. it lends a little bit of intuition, I can get a feel for how
the boat is reacting, the lift and the drag and. . .  how they contribute to our boat speed."

     STAY TUNED UNTIL MAY TO SEE IF THE SCIENTIST'S AND THE CREW'S HARD
WORK PAYS OFF.