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Shortlisted for THE Awards

The Wolfson Unit was shortlisted for the Outstanding Engineering Research Team of the Year at the Times Higher Education Awards 2009, which were announced at a gala ceremony in the Grosvenor Hotel, London. The short-listing was for the work completed as part of a UK Sport Research & Innovation and British Cycling (BCF) project with the aim of developing understanding and the application of aerodynamics for cycling with a requirement of deliverables for Beijing 2008. A multidisciplinary team incorporated engineers from the Wolfson Unit with staff from British Cycling, TotalSim and Frazer Nash Consultancy, where the Wolfson Unit provided expertise in experimental fluid dynamics and research testing procedures for the project.

JQ mannequin wind tunnel

For information on our involvement in Sports Engineering download our Sports Engineering datasheet.

For more information on our range of services see our services page.

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Developing the Oyster Centreboarder

The Oyster team undertook a series of tank tests at the Wolfson Unit at the University of Southampton. The Oyster 82 hull model was used for testing and fitted with interchangeable rudders and keels. The goal was to try and achieve a performance envelope similar, if not quicker, than the standard yacht but with a draft of only 2.14m, almost 1.22m less than the standard Oyster 82 and just a shade less than the standard Oyster 46.

The results were immediately promising, the deep centreboard giving excellent hydrodynamic efficiency, better than the standard keel. The next step was to run the test values together with the stability figures and sail coefficients through the VPP. The results clearly showed that the centreboarder should be more than a match for the standard 82, the slight shortfall in stiffness under sail being easily offset by the improved hydrodynamic efficiency of the board.

Confirmation on performance came when the 82 centreboarder was first commissioned at Oyster. On a brisk day, blowing a steady 20 knots from the southeast, several members of the design and commissioning team took her on sea trials with a freshly calibrated log. The numbers were carefully recorded. Back at the design office the figures were compared to the VPP and tank test results produced several months earlier. The performance stood up to and at some points surpassed expectation. The boat did not feel tender relative to the standard 82 even when pressed to rail down. She was found to be very light on the helm when well pressed, with the lee rudder being in its most efficient vertical position it gave great balance and feeling of control.

NOTE: the article above first appeared in Oyster News August 2009 and is published with the permission of Oyster Marine.

Oyster 85 model in SSU tank Oyster 85 sea trials

For information on our range of yacht testing services see our Yacht Testing page.

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Oil Spill Response 2010

Vikoma International, part of the Aberdeen based Energy Environmental Group, has been chosen to work with NOFO (Norwegian Clean Seas Association for Operating Companies) to develop new solutions for oil spill response in the challenging sea conditions in the region.

“Vikoma’s submission proposes a completely new concept for a continuous oil recovery system that can be used in fast current environments and large swells, currently far outside of the capability of any existing boom systems”, explains Neil Plater, Vikoma’s Engineering Manager.

Vikoma will work with the prestigious Wolfson Unit to test theories and models, using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and advanced flow visualisation techniques, before potentially developing a prototype system for testing by NOFO. Mike King, Managing Director of Vikoma International explained, “We believe the research will lead to a new generation of oil containment and recovery technology.”

The development programme ‘Oil Spill Response 2010’ or ‘Oljevern 2010’ operated by NOFO, has a significant budget to bring new products into the market. The priority of the programme is to develop new and improved oil recovery technology that can operate in higher seas and stronger currents than equipment currently on the market.

WUMTIA news

For information on our CFD services visit our Computational Fluids Dynamics page.

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Fishing Safety in Spain

In September Barry Deakin made a presentation at the World Fishing Exhibition in Vigo, Spain, in a one day seminar on Fishing Vessel’s Crews and Stability. Unfortunately, the local fishing fleet suffered two serious casualties during the week preceding the seminar, with two deaths from capsized vessels. Inevitably this focussed the attention of the industry and the media, and gave a sombre note to the proceedings.

Barry’s presentation described his work conducted for the MCA, to develop simple safety guidance for fishermen. This is an attempt to convey information relating the residual stability and safety of a vessel to the prevailing seastate, particularly when conducting hazardous operations such as lifting or overloading. Although the work was aimed at the UK fleet, Barry believes that it is equally applicable in other countries, and the continued occurrence of fatal capsizes supports his view that the fishermen have insufficient information on which to judge their level of safety.

Other speakers at the seminar described regulatory aspects, educational techniques, and software systems being developed for use onboard. Encouraging news came from Iceland, where tighter regulation combined with excellent weather and wave forecasts have reduced accident rates dramatically in recent years. It is apparent that the poor safety record can be improved. The papers and presentations are available here.

World Fishing Exhibition speakers

For information on our services in stability and safety visit our Ship Safety page.

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Wolfson Unit visits Galicia

At the end of May Barry Deakin spent a week in Galicia, North West Spain, to visit some of the shipyards and design offices. Meetings were held with representatives of many companies to explore the potential for business in that region, where there is an unusual concentration of marine industries. The companies included designers and builders of yachts, fast motor vessels and small ships, and technical consultants who provide services which might complement those of the Wolfson Unit. In all cases the welcome was warm, and Barry came away from many of the meetings with a positive impression that there is business potential there.

He will return to Vigo in September to make a presentation on fishing vessel safety at the World Fishing Exhibition, and this will provide a further opportunity to strengthen the contacts made in the region.

Wolfson Unit visits Galicia

For more information on our range of services see our services page.

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John Robinson retires

After 31 years of service at the Wolfson Unit, John has put his Hewlett Packard 11C calculator in the drawer for the last time and taken early retirement.

His contribution to the Unit in the field of naval architecture is considerable and not always recognised by the wider community. His roles have included programming stability programs in the 1980s, developing software for powering prediction and propeller design for a range of vessel types and the development of tank testing techniques. Within the Unit he will be best remembered for the standard data acquisition program, which is fundamental to all our test and trials work.

John has been a significant contributor to the day to day running of the Unit. His role as software manager has been taken over by Sandy Wright. Software users should continue to use the Wolfson Unit general enquiry email wumtia@soton.ac.uk for technical and sales enquiries.

The Wolfson Unit staff have all appreciated working with John over the years and wish him all the best for his new life in Uruguay.

John at his leaving party

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New wind tunnel floor and dynamometer

The Wolfson Unit has designed and built a new floor and is now commissioning an under floor dynamometer for the R.J. Mitchell Wind Tunnel at the University of Southampton. The design of the floor will allow quicker and easier turn around between running the wind tunnel with the moving ground and with a solid floor. The new solid floor also has a 2m diameter turntable directly below the overhead balance to allow a greater range of testing to be undertaken.
The first client to use the new set up has been UK Sport, recently testing for various winter sports; both the UK Sport Research & Innovation team and the Wolfson Unit consider the new system to be a great success. The under floor dynamometer is now being commissioned, to make the R.J. Mitchell Wind Tunnel suitable for a greater range of experimental testing.

New wind tunnel floor and dynamometer_1 New wind tunnel floor and dynamometer_2

For more information on our aerodynamics consultancy services see our aerodynamics page.

For more information on our facilities see our facilities page.

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Green Trawler project

The potential for reducing fuel consumption of fishing vessels was quantified by the Wolfson Unit in a project funded by the Irish Government, and coordinated by Noel O’Regan of Promara. Current regulations have resulted in fishing vessels of wide beam and very full form. Their high resistance characteristics require powerful engines, but this has been tolerable until the recent increases in fuel costs. This project examined the potential fuel savings that could be made if some length-related regulations could be relaxed. A typical modern vessel of 19.8 metres was compared with a design of 23.9 metres produced by S C McAllister. Tests in calm water and representative seastates demonstrated resistance reduction of up to 60% at a given speed.

Red Trawler Green Trawler

For more information on our range of services see our services page.

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HST Onboard upgrade

HST Onboard is a stand-alone program designed for use by bridge personnel in order to compute vessel-specific sailing state, stability and longitudinal strength information in any loaded condition. The program is supplied with data files, which define the vessel's geometric shape and loaded conditions, including capacity data for all of the tanks. HST Onboard enables the operator to:

  • Select and edit loaded condition information;
  • Verify the vessel’s compliance with intact stability requirements, as set in the Stability Booklet;
  • Show and print reports, which may be used as the ship’s official record at the time of departure.

HST Onboard uses the functionalities of HST (the Wolfson Unit's hydrostatics, stability and tank capacities program) and those of HST Loading (that calculates weights and centres, loading conditions, longitudinal strength, maximum KG and intact stability criteria). The program uses the hull definition from HST.

HST Onboard HST Onboard

Visit our software page to download the new HST Onboard brochure.

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ShipShape freeware version

The Wolfson Unit have released a fully functional freeware version of ShipShape, a program designed to assist the naval architect in defining, fairing and drawing a set of ship’s lines. The commercial ShipShape version 25.03.08 is now being replaced by freeware version 17.03.09, which is available for immediate download on the ‘Utilities and Free Software’ section of our Software page. The Wolfson Unit will still be offering free unlimited technical help to existing ShipShape customers, whereas the freeware version is offered ‘as is’ and free technical assistance will not be provided.

Compatible with Windows Vista, ShipShape has been configured to interface with the existing Wolfson Unit Hydrostatics and Stability suite of programs and is offered with an online help, a tutorial and a library of ship and yacht designs. ShipShape is highly flexible and can be used to create many different hull forms, including merchant and fishing vessels, chine craft, yachts and multihulls. It employs a fairing method which is intuitive for the user and produces the exact shapes the designer wishes to achieve.

ShipShape splash

Visit our software page to see the full range of Wolfson Unit Software.

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New file transfer service

We have added a new area to our website where Clients can exchange files with Wolfson Unit engineers. The file exchange service is based upon a secure File Transfer Protocol (FTP) server where personal password-protected folders can be set up for individual Clients. An email notification service will keep the Client informed on any upload/download within their folder. The FTP service, which is being fully integrated in our workflow, will speed up the interaction with our Customers, allowing to exchange large drawings and executable files, as well as test results, photographs and videos. The file transfer service can be accessed via the ‘FTP site’ link on the right hand side of our main navigation bar.

For information on our CFD services visit our Computational Fluids Dynamics page.

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VPP Version 4.2.28

This version represents the last expected version in Release 4 of the Vpp, and covers a number of outstanding issues within the code in order both to improve program performance, and also to improve the user interface. The Unit is now working with Yacht Research International to produce Version 5 of the Vpp, which is intended further to open the program to third party development using Microsoft’s .NET protocols, so that users can create their own tailored physical models.

VPP logo

Visit our software page to see the full range of Wolfson Unit Software.

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New Release of Power Prediction Program

The Wolfson Unit is pleased to announce the new release of its Power Prediction Program, version 15.01.09. The new version includes:

  • Wolfson Unit Catamaran Craft: this series is a regression of 13 parametric variants of round bilge semi-displacement demi-hulled catamarans, tested in the University of Southampton, and described in Molland et al. The regression calculates the residuary resistance, and interference factors, over a range of Froude numbers, up to 1.0, for varying length-displacement, length-beam, and hull spacing ratios.

  • Wolfson Unit High Speed Chine Craft: this series is a regression of 41 hard chine models tested at the Wolfson Unit since 1999, unpublished. The regression is similar to the original hard chine methods, but the hulls have been chosen to allow calculations up to volume Froude numbers of 5.0. The data are all taken from test models which have been optimised for trim, either by positioning the LCG, or by trim tabs or wedges.
  • The new release also features an improved report content and an improved transfer of data to the Propeller Design Program. Customers with the existing version of the program can upgrade to the new version for £125.

    CFD studies on yacht keels

    Visit our software page to download the Power Prediction Program datasheet.

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    Wolfson Unit at Seatec

    The work of the Wolfson Unit will be used to illustrate a presentation by Barry Deakin at the Yacht Engineering Forum at Seatec, the trade fair showcasing yacht and ship technology at Carrara, Italy. The presentation, ‘Avoiding and Solving Problems in Motor Yacht Design’ (PDF, 626KB) describes the many ways in which a technical consultancy and model testing organisation can assist in the design process, and find solutions to overcome problems which may arise when a yacht is commissioned. The presentation forms half of the afternoon session on Friday 6th February.

    Seatec logo

    For more information on our range of services see our services page.

    Visit our software page to see the full range of Wolfson Unit Software.

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    How safe is your boat ?

    Fishing is the most dangerous industry in the UK, and most countries of the world. Although there are many causes of accidents, most of the fatalities are caused by capsize or swamping because they occur without warning and with little prospect of survival. Safety is dependent on the stability and seaworthiness of the vessel, and its size in relation to the seastate. Small vessels, therefore, are particularly vulnerable, but they are the ones for which no stability calculations are required.

    As a result of extensive research for the MCA, we are now making available a simple procedure to calculate and print the recommended safety guidance information for any small vessel, together with advice on minimum freeboard in relation to operational seastates.

    The procedure has been implemented as a simple Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, that can be downloaded for free from our Ship Safety page.

    Stability Notice Freeboard Guidance Mark

    For information on our services in stability and safety visit our Ship Safety page.

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    Ermis2 wins Superyacht Design Award

    Ermis2, the 37-metre high performance motor yacht from Humphreys Yacht Design has been voted ‘Best Power Yacht, 24-40 metres’ at the 2008 International Superyacht Society Design and Leadership Awards in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

    The Wolfson Unit prides itself on its contribution to the success of Ermis2, having undertaken towing tank testing and power prediction studies during her development, on behalf of Humphreys Yacht Design. As usual, testing was conducted with towing rig, instrumentation and software supplied and operated by the Wolfson Unit.

    Launched in late 2007, Ermis2 is a 37 metre infused carbon-fibre superyacht that can travel at speeds in excess of 55 knots. She has consistently impressed the superyachting community with her power and sea-keeping abilities.

    Ermis2_2web Ermis2_3web

    For more information on our range of powerboat testing services see our motor yacht and ship testing page.

    For more information on our facilities see our facilities page.

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    Come and see us at METS - 18th to 20th November 2008

    The Wolfson Unit will be exhibiting at this year’s METS, Stand EF.091, Superyacht Pavillion.

    Amsterdam’s METS is the Premier European exhibition of equipment, materials, systems and services for the international leisure craft trade and industry. Our present and future customers will be very welcome at our stand, where two Unit engineers will be illustrating our range of services, products and software. If you are interested in meeting us, please feel free to book a slot beforehand. You can phone John Robinson or Martyn Prince on +44 (0)23 8058 5044 or email us at wumtia@soton.ac.uk. You can find detailed information on the Show on the METS website.

    At the same time, the 20th International HISWA Symposium will take place on 17th and 18th November at the Amsterdam RAI Convention Centre. HISWA has started in 1969 and is one of the world’s foremost conferences in the area of yacht building and yacht construction, especially in relation to scientific development in this field. The Wolfson Unit will be giving a talk on ‘Development of a VPP-based rating for J Class Yachts’ by John Robinson and Clay Oliver. Please visit the HISWA Symposium website for further information on the conference.

    CFD studies on yacht keels

    For more information on our range of services see our services page.

    Visit our software page to see the full range of Wolfson Unit Software.

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    Congratulations to Olympic athletes

    The Wolfson Unit wishes to congratulate all of the British Olympic athletes on their fantastic results in Beijing. Unit Engineers have had the privilege of working with top athletes in a number of sports, notably the British Cycling team, helping them win Gold. The Unit has also worked in close contact with the rowing, sailing and canoeing squads, where the target number of medals has been exceeded. The Unit prides itself in having assisted both athletes and technical staff over the last few years, focussing on direct performance gains and improving understanding of the complex physics involved.

    WUMTIA is one of eight organisations chosen as Innovation Partners to UK Sport’s Research and Innovation programme, providing support to the UK's best athletes and coaches so that they can reach their full potential in the Olympics and other international competitions.

    Head of Research and Innovation at UK Sport, Dr Scott Drawer, commented: “Working with the team at WUMTIA has been a truly world-class experience. Their enthusiasm and passion for excellence has never faltered during this Olympiad. We hope our working relationship will continue to go from strength to strength over the next four years as we try and build on the knowledge and insights we have gained in cycling and many of our other leading sports.”

    CFD studies on yacht keels CFD studies on yacht keels

    For information on our involvement in Sports Engineering download our Sports Engineering datasheet.

    For more information on our range of services see our services page.

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    The Engineer Awards 2008

    The Unit is proud to have been selected as one of three finalists in the University Support of Business category, one of this year’s Technology and Innovation Awards presented by The Engineer. We shall be represented at the Awards lunch ceremony, to be held on Friday 3rd October 2008 at The Royal Society, where the winners will be announced.

    Emirates Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa Challenge, the 2007 Louis Vuitton Cup finalists, supported the Wolfson Unit in its application for the award and will also be represented at the ceremony.

    Although the Wolfson Unit is well known for its work for America’s Cup teams within the yachting industry, this is not the case in wider circles, partly because there was not a British entry in the 32nd America’s Cup and partly because of the confidential nature of the work for this high level competition. The Engineer awards provide an opportunity to publicise our work to the engineering community.

    In June 2007, 2 sailing teams out of an original 11 from 9 countries contested the Louis Vuitton Cup. Emirates Team New Zealand defeated Luna Rossa Challenge to go on to race for the 32nd America’s Cup, the oldest and most prestigious yachting trophy. This event represented the culmination of many years of collaboration between the University of Southampton and the yachting industry, with excellence and innovation being vital for success and the race course providing a harsh proving ground.

    The winners in each of the categories will be announced at the Royal Society on 3rd October. Results will be published on the Awards website.

    CFD studies on yacht keels

    For more information on our range of services see our services page.

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    WUMTIA website refit

    This morning we launched a new design for the Wolfson Unit website. You can see the previous design further down the page. The overall idea was to make the site easier to use and navigate, while adding more contents and improving access to the information we offer.

    We have moved to a fixed layout grid with centred pages, improving the use of space for clients and visitors working at larger screen resolutions. Also, our coding standards are now suitable for browsers such as Firefox as well as Explorer. As far as the site content is concerned, all our datasheets, including the new Sports Engineering brochure, are now available for our clients to download. In addition, because our software customer base is rapidly expanding, we have added a Frequently Asked Questions page to our Software section. To enhance the support offered to our software, and to expand on the most recent developments, new FAQ’s will be added on a regular basis. Finally, you will notice that mini-bio notes have been added to the staff page: this is to highlight the skills and the diverse range of expertise that the Unit has to offer to its worldwide customer base.

    More changes will be rolling out in the next weeks: our 2008 Newsletter is at the printers and more content is soon to be available from the website. We look forward to receiving your feedback.

    old WUMTIA website

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    WinDesign advanced user seminar

    The Wolfson Unit is pleased to announce an advanced user seminar to be held on 18th September 2008, coinciding with the Southampton Boat Show. The seminar is aimed at those with an interest in using some of the advanced features of the program.

    Download seminar programme (pdf, 156 Kb).

    Please email the Wolfson Unit for further information and to register for the seminar.

    CFD studies on yacht keels

    Visit our software page to see the full range of Wolfson Unit Software.

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    Success stories from long-term clients

    We are pleased to publish the following two feedbacks, recently received from long-term Unit customers.

    Mr. Maidment of the Southampton-based company Maidsure Services recently informed us that our report No. 1027 ‘Tensile Tests on Wire Rope Swaged Connections’, dated 1991, is still successfully being used by the company engineers. Maidsure offers electronic testing of yacht standing rigging, manufacture and supply of rig test instruments and also the design and supply of Twistle rigs for downwind sailing.

    Many clients are aware of the consistent quality of our software, as well as that of our services. Below is a comment from Sciomachen of Bologna, Italy who have been using our Hydrostatics and Stability Program (now HST) since 1981.

    “Here is a photo of our Apple II setup running the Wolfson Unit software. This is the Apple IIgs version, with the original Apple Disks and a Calcomp digitizer. We believe that we purchased the first Hydrostatic and Stability Program from you in 1981 or so and we upgraded both the software and the hardware until the Apple II was supported. We used the software for many racing yachts, including Linda, winner of the 1983 One Ton Cup, as well as commercial vessels....”

    Sciomachen have recently upgraded their package from the Apple II to a Windows PC and their comment is: “The new windows based HST runs great”.

    Just as in the 80s, the Wolfson Unit keeps working hard to meet the expectations of existing clients, as well as those of our new customer base. We all look forward to publishing more stories like these in the future.

    Apple II photo - Sciomachen

    For more information on our range of services see our services page.

    Visit our software page to see the full range of Wolfson Unit Software.

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    New edition of Heavy Weather Sailing by Peter Bruce

    Barry Deakin was invited to attend the launch of the much revised 6th edition of this well known book, on the 4th June at the Royal Thames Yacht Club. The Wolfson Unit has assisted with this, and previous editions of the book, with contributions from Barry on yacht stability, structures and casualties, and from Andrew Claughton (now no longer with the Wolfson Unit) who wrote a chapter describing the Unit’s work on yacht capsizing model tests.

    The book provides an excellent technical discussion of all issues relating to yachts in heavy weather, with numerous first hand accounts from those who have experienced the worst that the oceans can deliver.

    Heavy Weather Sailing

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    Wolfson Unit advises on Spanish test facilities

    The government of Galicia and the University of La Coruña are working together to set up a Marine Technology Centre in Galicia, North West Spain. Their proposal is to build a towing tank and wind tunnel to provide a local service tailored to the needs of their buoyant marine design and shipbuilding industries.

    Having reviewed the various experimental establishments around Europe, the technical leaders of the organisation recommended that the new Technology Centre should be modelled on the Wolfson Unit, as we provide the type of service that they consider most appropriate to their needs. Our flexible and innovative approach to model testing, and our experience of working in a large number of test facilities, will enable us to provide valuable guidance in designing, equipping and operating their facilities.

    Barry Deakin was invited by the government of Galicia to make a presentation at the Navalia Fair in Vigo in May, to illustrate to industry representatives the wide range of issues that can be addressed with a towing tank and a wind tunnel. The presentation was followed by others from an existing Spanish Technology Centre (Centro Tecnológico Naval y del Mar), and from the General Director for Research and Development; the government representative responsible for the new Centre.

    NAVALIA logo

    For more information on our facilities see our facilities page.

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    Wolfson Unit at the Italian Yard Tour 2008

    The Wolfson Unit will be taking part to the Italian Yard Tour 2008, an event organised by the British Marine Federation in partnership with UK Trade and Investment. From 19th to 21st May 2008. Unit Engineer Matteo Scarponi will be meeting representatives of prestigious shipyards such as Azimut and Riva, to illustrate the wide range of services the Unit has to offer to the Italian marine industry. The Tour will also be the occasion to meet long-term Unit clients, some of which have been relying on our products and services since the 1980s.

    The Wolfson Unit has been operating in the Italian market for the last 30 years, undertaking many successful projects in the Superyacht and High Performance Yacht sector. Furthermore, Wolfson Unit software has a wide customer base in Italy and the demand for packages such as HST, Power Prediction Software and WinDesign is increasing steadily.

    The Italian marine industry is a major international market known for its quality, style, design, and competitiveness. The overall sales revenue for the Italian leisure boat production industry is €3.45bn (£2.75bn). 347 yachts over 24 metres were built in 2007 representing 45% of the world´s production of Superyachts (source: BMF).

    WUMTIA Breaking News

    For more information on our range of powerboat testing services see our motor yacht and ship testing page.

    For more information on our range of services see our services page

    Visit our software page to see the full range of Wolfson Unit Software.

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    Wolfson Unit Test 1200 Year Old Viking Longship

    Engineers from the Wolfson Unit have recently returned from Norway, where they were testing 2 different models of the Oseberg viking longship. Because the vessel was partially collapsed when it was excavated in 1904, the exact shape of the hull was unknown, and after a replica longship sank it was decided to tank test two different hull shapes.Wolfson Unit engineers tested both hulls on behalf of Marintek at their facilities in Trondheim. As well as giving the engineers a unique opportunity to test an unusual hullform, it gave valuable experience with another test tank, offering us the opportunity to increase the availability of testing at the most economic rates.

    Oseberg

    For more information on our range of yacht testing services see our yacht testing page .

    For more information on our facilities see our facilities page.

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    Ermis2 ready to debut

    The new Humphreys-designed 37 metre Ermis2 has just completed sea trials in New Zealand and is now being shipped to Europe. She has been nominated for two World Superyacht Awards, one in the Technology category and the other for the best motor yacht in the sub-40 metre Planing and Semi-Displacement category.

    The Wolfson Unit prides itself on its contribution to the success of Ermis2, having undertaken towing tank testing and power prediction studies during her development, on behalf of Humphreys Yacht Design. As usual, testing was conducted with towing rig, instrumentation and software supplied and operated by the Wolfson Unit.

    Ermis2_2web Ermis2_3web

    For more information on our range of powerboat testing services see our motor yacht and ship testing page.

    For more information on our facilities see our facilities page.

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    UK Sport Award for WUMTIA


    UK Sport have announced eight industry and university sector organisations that are to receive Innovation Partner status in recognition of teir ongoing support of UK Sport�s Research and Innovation team since its establishment in 2004.

    The UK Sport Research and Innovation department works to deliver bespoke performance solutions for sports� national governing bodies in collaboration with the best British expertise in the fields of engineering, technology and human sciences.

    To date the Wolfson Unit has undertaken wind tunnel testing, towing tank testing, software development and general consultancy on behalf of UK Sport for track cycling, sailing, canoeing, rowing and bob skeleton, with an emphasis upon direct performance gains, such as the 9 gold medals won by the UK at the recent track cycling world championships, and an understanding of the hydrodynamic and aerodynamic reasons for such improvements. In addition, the School of Engineering Sciences currently have three Engineering Doctorate students sponsored by UK Sport which allow an in-depth study of some aspect of a sport in a more research based environment.

    See the UK Sport website for further details

    UKSport bob UKSport innovation partner logo

    For information on our CFD services visit our Computational Fluids Dynamics page.

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    New Facilities for Power Craft Testing

    After more than 35 years successful operation, the towing tank at GKN on the Isle of Wight has closed, due to company restructuring on the site. The Unit has been one of the main customers for this tank for more than twenty years with many successful projects completed.

    We have already identified alternatives for our power craft work, and for the majority of projects with model speeds up to 7.5 metres/sec, (scale speeds of 50 knots for 30 – 40 metre hulls), we will be using the tank in the Ecole Centrale de Nantes, which is some 150m long by 5m wide by 3m deep, with excellent wave making capabilities. These new facilities for power craft testing follow our successful move to European tanks for large scale sailing yacht work over the last three years.

    As always, we will be using all of our own equipment for the measurements, and our normal modelling methods. We have already scheduled our first two projects for the Nantes tank, and look forward to a fruitful relationship with the staff in Nantes.

    For very high speed testing we have selected alternative facilities, in Eastern Europe, able to match both the test requirements and costs, and will make a final choice when necessary.

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    Jason's New Job

    Having worked in the Unit for more than ten years, during which he completely overhauled and extended our range of commercial software, Jason Smithwick has left us to start a new job with ISAF, the International Sailing Federation. Jason will become the Technical Director at ISAF, and the experience that he gained working with the RYA on its technical committee over several years, whilst still in the Unit, will be put to good use. We wish Jason good luck in his new career.

    Overall responsibility for Software has been returned to John Robinson, with Matteo Scarponi and Sandy Wright taking charge of the majority of the individual codes. Software users should continue to use the Wolfson Unit general enquiry email wumtia@soton.ac.uk for technical and sales enquiries.

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    Wolfson Unit Announce CFD Partners

    The Wolfson Unit’s range of consultancy services encompasses Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), as well as experimentally based methods. Our experience ranges from having conducted academic research to assisting designers on best practice to incorporate CFD within their design development, and using a variety of CFD codes to evaluate fluid flow in a diverse range of problems.

    The Wolfson Unit has built up partnerships with a number of computational engineering companies to assist in CFD work. This allows all the parties to provide expertise in their own specialisation, and our client benefits from these strengths without having to deal with different contracts and separate projects. The Wolfson Unit are pleased to announce that we currently have close working relationship with TotalSim and CAPONNETTO-HUEBER and have completed several successful contracts and investigations with these partners

    For information on our CFD services visit our Computational Fluids Dynamics page.

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    University of Southampton Logo UK Sport Innovation Partner Logo