R2AK 2018 Clip of the Day - DAY SEVENTEEN

The good, the bad and the ones that impressed even an old pedal-power pro, Russell Brown of PT Watercraft. Russell and R2AK's Tim Penhallow look back at the human power element of many of this year's vessels.
Video By Morgan Kinney & Zach Carver
Additional Camera Kim Madalinski
Produced By Zephyhr/ Yeti

[@svmariko]

Are you allowed a fly wheel in the pedal drive system?

[@yawlright]

My human powered idea is in the design phase I can't wait to try it out in a testing phase. I think it will crush so I need to keep it hush hush.

[@johnsumner6185]

24-hour bike race mentality applied to a sailing race! Cool!!

[@russellmoore1533]

I would have thought that a surface piercing propeller would be creating a lot of drag each time a blade cuts down into the water, and lifts up on the other side.

[@russellmoore1533]

From what I saw of the semi submersed propeller a lot of energy was wasted moving water up and down as the propeller pierces the water surface and comes out of the water, and that water is not pushed backwards, thus you lose energy that doesn't move the boat forward. This is one of the reasons that paddle wheels fell out of favour many years ago once propellers became the norm. With the propeller buried deep in the water almost all of the thrust from the propeller blades helps to move the boat forward. The only time I've seen semi submerged props work well is with high powered boats that can throw the water back, somewhat like a jet ski. Of cause that is not the case here as legs lack that type of power. I'm sure someone like Rick Willoughby would know a lot about what does and doesn't work when using human powered boats.

[@nateface]

I believe it's more about having a smoother pedal stroke instead of whump... whump... whump... that a lot of the pedaldrives get.