[ Jani_Macari_Pallis - 6 - 10:54:13 ]
Good Morning Everyone, I'm Dr. Jani Macari Pallis and I'll be hosting our web chat today. When our experts Mark Reynolds and Donovan Mathias arrive in the chat - please let me know by signing in and let me know you are here. We'll open the chat in just a few minutes!

[ Donovan_Mathias - 7 - 10:57:36 ]
Good morning, Dr. Donovan Mathias signing in from NASA Ames Research Center.

[ Jani_Macari_Pallis - 8 - 10:58:43 ]
RE: [Donovan_Mathias] Good morning, Dr. Donovan Mathias signing in from NASA Ames Research Center.
Good Morning Dr. Mathias! How is everything at NASA Ames today!

[ Tory - 9 - 11:00:16 ]
Hello

[ Donovan_Mathias - 10 - 11:00:20 ]
RE: [Jani_Macari_Pallis] Good Morning Dr. Mathias! How is everything at NASA Ames today!
Things are going well today. I am making good use of the supercomputers this morning!

[ Mark_Reynolds - 11 - 11:00:28 ]
Hi, Mark Reynolds is now onboard.

[ Jani_Macari_Pallis - 12 - 11:01:12 ]
I should mention that Dr. Jim Ross was not able to join us today. So Dr. Donovan Mathias who has been involved in an America's Cup campaign will be in our chat today.

[ Jani_Macari_Pallis - 13 - 11:01:38 ]
Hello Tory - welcome to our chat!

[ Jani_Macari_Pallis - 14 - 11:02:11 ]
Hello Mark!

[ Natale - 15 - 11:02:25 ]
Good Morning Dr. Pallis

[ Jani_Macari_Pallis - 16 - 11:02:59 ]
Mark - I'd like to start off by asking you how old you are when you began sailing and how did you become interested in sailing?

[ Jani_Macari_Pallis - 17 - 11:03:56 ]
RE: [Natale] Good Morning Dr. Pallis
Good Morning Natale! What sailing science question would you like to ask our experts?

[ Mark_Reynolds - 18 - 11:04:30 ]
RE: [Jani_Macari_Pallis] Mark - I'd like to start off by asking you how old you are when you began sailing and how did you become interested in sailing?
Hi Jani, I'm 44 years old and have been sailing since I was 8. My dad was also a sailor and used to crew for Dennis Conner.

[ Jani_Macari_Pallis - 19 - 11:04:58 ]
Donovan - Can you tell us the type of work you did on the America's Cup boat? Can you tell us which boat it was and from what country/city?

[ Natale - 20 - 11:05:54 ]
I saw an article during the America's Cup about space age technology used in these boats. Do the sails and boats you design have "space age technology" in them?

[ Tory - 21 - 11:06:48 ]
Do your children sail?

[ Donovan_Mathias - 22 - 11:07:23 ]
RE: [Jani_Macari_Pallis] Donovan - Can you tell us the type of work you did on the America's Cup boat? Can you tell us which boat it was and from what country/city?
My involvement was with the America True team out of San Francisco. I used computers to predict the performance of their sails.

[ Mark_Reynolds - 23 - 11:08:53 ]
RE: [Tory] Do your children sail?
Tory, I have 3 kids and they all sail a little but at the moment are not as interested as I was. My 12 year old daughter is more interested in swimming.

[ Natale - 24 - 11:09:43 ]
The crews on these boats are generally very big men. Wouldn't you want the crew to weigh less so the boat goes faster?

[ Jani_Macari_Pallis - 25 - 11:09:58 ]
Donovan - Can you tell us what a wind tunnel is? And how it is used to determine performance?

[ Michael - 26 - 11:10:52 ]
Hi

[ Mark_Reynolds - 27 - 11:11:34 ]
RE: [Natale] The crews on these boats are generally very big men. Wouldn't you want the crew to weigh less so the boat goes faster?
My crew on my Olympic Star boat is 258 pounds. He needs to be big for the strength and to keep the boat upright in strong winds.

[ Michael - 28 - 11:11:57 ]
I just wanted to say good luck to Mark at Olympics thanx

[ Tory - 29 - 11:12:11 ]
Do you use computers to design your sails?

[ Mark_Reynolds - 30 - 11:13:26 ]
RE: [Natale] The crews on these boats are generally very big men. Wouldn't you want the crew to weigh less so the boat goes faster?
In light winds it's nice to have less weight. Also smaller boats can have crews that are lighter. My 9 year old, who is 65 lbs, is the perfect crew for my 12 foot boat.

[ Tory - 31 - 11:13:49 ]
Do you ever fall in the water?

[ Jani_Macari_Pallis - 32 - 11:14:02 ]
RE: [Natale] I saw an article during the America's Cup about space age technology used in these boats. Do the sails and boats you design have "space age technology" in them?
Mark - I think this question from Natale was for you? Any "new materials" used in the sails, lines, boat construction?

[ Donovan_Mathias - 33 - 11:14:27 ]
RE: [Jani_Macari_Pallis] Donovan - Can you tell us what a wind tunnel is? And how it is used to determine performance?
A wind tunnel is generally an enclosed tunnel, like a long room, with a set of fans that move air through it. We can put models, such as planes, trucks, and boats, into the tunnel and blow air over them. Performance is determined by measuring how much force the air exerts on the model.

[ Mark_Reynolds - 34 - 11:15:17 ]
RE: [Michael] I just wanted to say good luck to Mark at Olympics thanx
Thanks, Michael, we are well prepared but it's always good to have some luck as well! I think we have a good chance to do well.

[ Jani_Macari_Pallis - 35 - 11:15:37 ]
RE: [Michael] I just wanted to say good luck to Mark at Olympics thanx
Thanks for joining us Michael!

[ Mark_Reynolds - 36 - 11:16:10 ]
RE: [Tory] Do you use computers to design your sails?
Yes, we do use computers to design our sails.

[ Mark_Reynolds - 37 - 11:17:18 ]
RE: [Tory] Do you ever fall in the water?
Yes, we have fallen in the water. Sometimes the boat might tip over and we go into the water. It's a good idea to be a good swimmer and wear a life jacket!

[ Jani_Macari_Pallis - 38 - 11:17:49 ]
RE: [Mark_Reynolds] Thanks, Michael, we are well prepared but it's always good to have some luck as well! I think we have a good chance to do well.
I'd like to mention that Mark has earned both a gold and silver medal at previous Olympics. Mark is the first American to helm at 4 Olympics. Mark and his crew Magnus Liljedahl also won the World Championship this year!

[ Tory - 39 - 11:17:57 ]
What do the different people in the boat do?

[ Jani_Macari_Pallis - 40 - 11:19:10 ]
RE: [Donovan_Mathias] A wind tunnel is generally an enclosed tunnel, like a long room, with a set of fans that move air through it. We can put models, such as planes, trucks, and boats, into the tunnel and blow air over them. Performance is determined by measuring how much force the air exerts on the model.
Donovan - Why do you need both computer codes and wind tunnel tests?

[ Mark_Reynolds - 41 - 11:19:36 ]
RE: [Tory] What do the different people in the boat do?
There are 2 people in my boat, the Star which is almost 23' long. I stear the boat and adjust the main sail and my crew Magnus trims the jib, the backstays (they help hold up the mast) and we both balance the boat.

[ Natale - 42 - 11:19:48 ]
Are there competitions for women in the star class?

[ Jani_Macari_Pallis - 43 - 11:20:29 ]
Mark - could you explain what happens to a boat's speed when it gets near another boat?

[ Tory - 44 - 11:22:28 ]
Why do you lean out of the boat so much?

[ Expert - 45 - 11:23:22 ]
RE: [Jani_Macari_Pallis] Donovan - Why do you need both computer codes and wind tunnel tests?
Wind tunnel results are often used to make sure computed results are accurate. Computer simulations are faster so we can do more computer simulations than wind tunnel tests.

[ Mark_Reynolds - 46 - 11:23:23 ]
RE: [Natale] Are there competitions for women in the star class?
There are not usually separate competitions for women in the Star although there are in other boats. Some classes in the Olympics have a men's and women's division. The Star is open. Sometimes there might be a separate trophy for the first woman in regattas.

[ Mark_Reynolds - 47 - 11:25:08 ]
RE: [Tory] Why do you lean out of the boat so much?
We lean out of the boat to keep it more upright so it will go faster. If the boat leans over you lose sail power and the keel and rudder don't work as well.

[ Jani_Macari_Pallis - 48 - 11:25:46 ]
Donovan - Do they just test sails with these codes? What about other parts of the boats?

[ Tory - 49 - 11:26:26 ]
How old do you have to be to compete?

[ Mark_Reynolds - 50 - 11:26:47 ]
RE: [Jani_Macari_Pallis] Mark - could you explain what happens to a boat's speed when it gets near another boat?
When another boat gets near it can take your wind and slow you down so you have to always know where the wind comes from and try to keep it's path clear.

[ Donovan_Mathias - 51 - 11:27:17 ]
RE: [Jani_Macari_Pallis] Donovan - Do they just test sails with these codes? What about other parts of the boats?
We have used our analysis codes to simulate keels also.

[ Jani_Macari_Pallis - 52 - 11:28:47 ]
Do you put keels in a wind tunnel? Not a water tunnel?

[ Mark_Reynolds - 53 - 11:28:48 ]
RE: [Tory] How old do you have to be to compete?
Most kids start learning sailing at about 7 or 8 and start competing a few years later.

[ Jani_Macari_Pallis - 54 - 11:30:38 ]
RE: [Tory] How old do you have to be to compete?
I'd like to add a question to Tory's. Mark is it true that there's no upper limit in age in the Olympics. Someone told me that there was a man that was over 80 years old that sailed in the Olympics with his granddaughter? Do you know if this is true?

[ Donovan_Mathias - 55 - 11:31:09 ]
RE: [Jani_Macari_Pallis] Do you put keels in a wind tunnel? Not a water tunnel?
Keels can be tested in air or water. The actual forces are different, but we can "calibrate" the results so they can be compared.

[ Michael - 56 - 11:33:54 ]
What's a star mean?

[ Natale - 57 - 11:34:42 ]
Are there associations that offer free sailing lessons to children?

[ Mark_Reynolds - 58 - 11:35:41 ]
RE: [Jani_Macari_Pallis] I'd like to add a question to Tory's. Mark is it true that there's no upper limit in age in the Olympics. Someone told me that there was a man that was over 80 years old that sailed in the Olympics with his granddaughter? Do you know if this is true?
I don't know about a guy 80 years old, that certainly is not possible today, but you can stay competitive into at least your late 40's in sailing. You now have to qualify your country to send a team so there are no longer uncompetitive teams like there used to be.

[ Jani_Macari_Pallis - 59 - 11:36:22 ]
Donovan - what kinds of information do you get from these codes and tests. You said performance but can you give us a little more detail?

[ Mark_Reynolds - 60 - 11:36:25 ]
RE: [Michael] Whar's a star mean?
The type of boat I sail is called a "Star" and the logo on the sail is also a star.

[ Tory - 61 - 11:37:53 ]
What's a keel?

[ Jani_Macari_Pallis - 62 - 11:38:22 ]
RE: [Mark_Reynolds] The type of boat I sail is called a "Star" and the logo on the sail is also a star.
Mark - how is a Star different than other types of sailboats?

[ Mark_Reynolds - 63 - 11:39:03 ]
RE: [Natale] Are there associations that offer free sailing lessons to children?
Yes, I think most city's that have water access have programs for sailing. Some are city programs and some are even at private clubs.

[ Donovan_Mathias - 64 - 11:39:29 ]
RE: [Jani_Macari_Pallis] Donovan - what kinds of information do you get from these codes and tests. You said performance but can you give us a little more detail?
Sure, performance means different things in different situations. For sails, we look at the forces generated as the wind blows over them. We want the forces to move the boat forward but not tip it over.

[ Tory - 65 - 11:39:38 ]
Is it a very profitable career?

[ Jani_Macari_Pallis - 66 - 11:40:24 ]
RE: [Natale] Are there associations that offer free sailing lessons to children?
Natale - If you go to our chat page http://wings.avkids.com/Sports/star.html at the bottom of the page there are links to US Sailing. US Sailing is the national governing body for sailing and they have information on youth sailing and getting started in sailing.

[ Mark_Reynolds - 67 - 11:40:36 ]
RE: [Tory] What's a keel?
The keel is what hangs off the bottom of the boat. It keeps the boat from sliding sideways so it moves forward and it also has weight in it to keep the boat from leaning or turning over.

[ Mark_Reynolds - 68 - 11:43:10 ]
RE: [Tory] Is it a very profitable career?
For the most part sail boat racing is not professional. We race for medals and trophies. I make and sell sails to pay for my sailing. I also get some help from the US Olympic committee, donations and I just got my first sponsor, Nautica clothing.

[ Jani_Macari_Pallis - 69 - 11:43:16 ]
Mark - how did you get into sail design and how long have you been designing?

[ Tory - 70 - 11:44:57 ]
I have a Nautica sweatshirt!

[ Jani_Macari_Pallis - 71 - 11:45:18 ]
Donovan - are you able to create computer models of different designs on the computer and then evaluate which is better before you even build those deisgns?

[ Mark_Reynolds - 72 - 11:45:27 ]
RE: [Jani_Macari_Pallis] Mark - how did you get into sail design and how long have you been designing?
I got into sailmaking and designing 20 years ago. I started by working at North sails and then I started my own company a few years later. I'm part of a sailmaking group called Quantum Sail Design Group.

[ Mark_Reynolds - 73 - 11:46:17 ]
RE: [Tory] I have a Nautica sweatshirt!
Cool! They have been very involved in sponsoring sailing.

[ Donovan_Mathias - 74 - 11:47:59 ]
RE: [Jani_Macari_Pallis] Donovan - are you able to create computer models of different designs on the computer and then evaluate which is better before you even build those deisgns?
Yes, this is one of the things we use computers to determine. It is faster and cheaper to analyze the designs with the computer that to make and test them on a boat.

[ Natale - 75 - 11:48:13 ]
Mark- Did you have to go to school to study these things, or were they just self taught?

[ Mark_Reynolds - 76 - 11:49:59 ]
RE: [Natale] Mark- Did you have to go to school to study these things, or were they just self taught?
Most of what I've learned about sailimaking has been learned on the job. My education was more in business which has certainly helped since I also run my own business.

[ Jani_Macari_Pallis - 77 - 11:52:06 ]
Mark - Are the winds different in Australia than other places - do you prepare for races differently based on where the race is located?

[ Tory - 78 - 11:53:17 ]
What other Olympics have you been in?

[ Jani_Macari_Pallis - 79 - 11:53:42 ]
Donovan - If NASA studies aircraft and spacecraft why would they have any involvement in helping study sails and keels?

[ Michael - 80 - 11:54:57 ]
How many people do you race with at the Olympics

[ Mark_Reynolds - 81 - 11:56:16 ]
RE: [Jani_Macari_Pallis] Mark - Are the winds different in Australia than other places - do you prepare for races differently based on where the race is located?
The winds can be pretty variable in September in Sydney. They are really pretty variable where ever you sail so you have to be ready for everything. We will practice for 3 weeks before our event on the waters we will be competing on to get used to the local conditions.

[ Tory - 82 - 11:56:20 ]
I have to go now, Good Luck To You!

[ Amy - 83 - 11:56:49 ]
HI - This is interesting - best of luck in Sydney........:-) Bye

[ Mark_Reynolds - 84 - 11:57:50 ]
RE: [Tory] What other olympics have you been in?
This will be number 4. I have been in the '88 Olympics where I won a Silver, '92 where I got a gold and then in '96 but I didn't win a medal that time.

[ Mark_Reynolds - 85 - 11:58:33 ]
RE: [Michael] How many people do you race with at the Olympics?
There will be 15 others, only 1 boat per country.

[ Jani_Macari_Pallis - 86 - 11:58:51 ]
RE: [Tory] I have to go now, Good Luck To You!
Thanks for joining us Tory!

[ Mark_Reynolds - 87 - 11:59:04 ]
RE: [Tory] I have to go now, Good Luck To You!
Thanks!

[ Jani_Macari_Pallis - 88 - 11:59:21 ]
RE: [Amy] HI - This is interesting - best of luck in Sydney........:-) Bye
Thanks for joining us Amy!

[ Mark_Reynolds - 89 - 11:59:34 ]
RE: [Amy] HI - This is interesting - best of luck in Sydney........:-) Bye
Thanks Amy

[ Donovan_Mathias - 90 - 12:00:09 ]
RE: [Jani_Macari_Pallis] Donovan - If NASA studies aircraft and spacecraft why would they have any involvement in helping study sails and keels?
The methods used to study airplanes, for example, also apply to boats. NASA often works with outside groups when NASA technology can help.

[ Natale - 91 - 12:00:18 ]
Do you ever ask help from other companies to help design your sails?

[ Jani_Macari_Pallis - 92 - 12:00:34 ]
Well - I want to thank Mark Reynolds and Dr. Donovan Mathias for taking time out of there very busy schedules to be with us today.

[ Mark_Reynolds - 93 - 12:01:43 ]
RE: [Natale] Do you ever ask help from other companies to help design your sails?
I can get some help from other Quantum designers from around the world if I need it.

[ Natale - 94 - 12:01:51 ]
Thank You and Best Of Luck To You

[ Jani_Macari_Pallis - 95 - 12:02:06 ]
I'm sure I speak for all the participants and observers in the chat room in wishing Mark all the best and success for him and Magnus in Sydney! Thank you everyone!

[ Donovan_Mathias - 96 - 12:02:13 ]
RE: [Jani_Macari_Pallis] Well - I want to thank Mark Reynolds and Dr. Donovan Mathias for taking time out of there very busy schedules to be with us today.
Thanks, it was fun!

[ Mark_Reynolds - 97 - 12:02:45 ]
Thanks to all that have dropped by. I hope you know a little more about sails and boats now. There's a lot of information out there on the web to learn more. Check us out before and during the Olympics at NBCOlympics.com

[ Jani_Macari_Pallis - 98 - 12:04:25 ]
RE: [Mark_Reynolds] Thanks to all that have dropped by. I hope you know a little more about sails and boats now. There's a lot of information out there on the web to learn more. Check us out before and during the Olympics at NBCOlympics.com
Yes - we have the NBCOlympics link from our site as well. http://wings.avkids.com/Sports/star.html And we'll have an archive of this chat there shortly!