Exploring new ideas in fluid dynamics, British designer Timur Pinar has devised an innovative yacht called “The Fulcrum 26” that draws inspiration from stealth aircraft and military patrol boats. Developed for a yacht design consultancy, the Fulcrum is 24-foot-long boat that would be constructed from aluminum and carbon fiber. The high speed boat intended for passenger taxiing would have a diesel V8 capable of pushing it forward at a steady 40 knots. While its reverse prow is a throwback to early 20th century dreadnought design, the underwater portion of the hull is partially concave instead of the usual convex.
Ironically, the less a ship is submerged in water the faster it may go. Concave hulls achieve lift and improve hydrodynamic drag by capturing and conserving air on their surface. A good test to see the difference between this hull design and conventional hull design is to hold a spoon parallel to a stream of water coming out of a tap, while the convex outer section gets pulled into the stream, the inner convex section will tend to bounce on the surface. This is the idea beneath the concave design, said in a very simple manner.
[Thanks Timur]