A Combined Ship Science-Behavioural Science Approach To Create A Winning Yacht-Sailor Combination

Fluid Structure Interactions Research Group, School of Engineering Sciences

M. Scarponi matteo@ship.soton.ac.uk
School of Engineering Sciences, University of Southampton, UK Facolt di Ingegneria, Universit di Perugia, Italy

Background

Yacht racing and human factor

Racing yacht designers aim at maximizing yacht performances within the boundaries of class rules. For a well-policed yacht rule, such performance gains are small. Regattas are contexts rich in non-deterministic features: a crew deals with everchanging states of nature (e.g. wind, tide) and opponents. The main area of possible performance gains is in how best a crew. Sailors performances should be accounted for as well as those of yachts.

Proposition
An approach is suggested where yacht-crew systems are investigated as a whole, which gives the opportunity to rank sailors choices as well as yacht performances. Possible behavioural models for choices of a strategical nature are highlighted.

Decision-making models
Best sailors function as better decision-makers (Arajo et al., 2005). Decision-making models mostly based on maximization of expected utility. When making decision under risk, probability informations Pj should be associated with outcomes Sj for j = 1,,n. Non-normative models (heuristics) are likely to be used under time-pressure.

Towards a dynamic VPP

Yacht motion described as in (Masayuma et al., 1997). 4 DoF are considered (surge, sway, yaw, heel): adequate effort/accuracy trade-off. Reference yacht is IACC M566, thoroughly investigated in past Ship Science projects. Forces and moments decomposed using Taylors expansion. A1 Ai Am

S1 P1

Sj Pj

Sn Pn

Ai = alternatives or gambles Sj = attributes or outcomes Pj = probabilities Ci,j = payoffs Expected Payoff: Expected Utility:

Ci, j

Ei = Pj Ci , j
j =1

& & m(u v ) = X U + X hull + X rudder + X sail & & m(v u ) = Yhull + Yrudder + Ysail && I =K +K +K +K
xx hull rudder sail stability

U i = u ( Ai ) = Pj u (Ci , j )
j =1

Tab. 1: General form of a payoff matrix

&& I zz = N hull + N rudder + N sail

Masayuma, Y., Fukasawa, T., Sasagawa, H., Tacking Simulations of Sailing Yachts Numerical Integration of Equations of Motions and Application of Neural Network Technique, Proceedings of the 12th CSYS, (1997)

Ci,j
Fig. 3: Risk-taking attitude

Ci,j
Fig. 4: Risk-averse attitude

Arajo, D., Davids, K., Serpa, S., An ecological approach to expertise effects in decisionmaking in a simulated sailing regatta, Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 6, 671-692 (2005)

Set-up of an automatic crew

Helmsman
Modeled in terms of a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller. Helmsman outputs are rudder angle and rudder rate. Two possible options: steering to a reference apparent wind angle (for upwind and downwind legs) or towards the next mark (for reaching legs).

Upwind sailing and gambling

Decision-making problem of a strategical nature: yacht being headed at t = 200 sec while sailing upwind. Four possible weather scenarios are presented (two oscillating and two veering wind patterns): n = 4 in Table 1. Probabilities for each scenario to occur are varied and Monte Carlo simulations were run. Options available to the crew: A1 - tack / A2 - dont tack / A3 - delay tack. Payoffs Ci,j calculated through the sailing simulator. Choice based on expected utility maximization.

Sail tailer
Outputs of the sail tailer module are the sheeting angle () and its derivative. A PID controller aims at minimizing the error between a reference sheeting angle ref and its actual value (t). An additional controller is dedicated to depowering the sail which, in turn, limits the heeling.

Fig. 1: Reference angles for a yacht

Navigator
Checks the yacht position on the racecourse. Detects changes in wind conditions (e.g. windshifts, wind oscillations). Manages manoeuvers (e.g. tacks) and subsequent speed recovery. Issues strategical decisions (e.g. when approaching an upwind mark).
Fig. 2: Yacht reaching towards Mark #3, time = 1000s Fig. 5: expected utilities; blue dashed line = tack; green dotted line = tack delayed by 60 secs. Posc = probability for oscillating wind scenarios to occur Fig. 6: oscillating wind pattern, dashed-track-yacht tacks on windshifts, solid-track-yacht never tacks

Conclusions
A 4 DoF, dynamic VPP allows yacht-crew systems to be investigated as a whole. A tool for race simulations and post-race analyses has been developed; results can be delivered through offline animations in a Virtual Reality environment. Rule-based and utility-based behavioural models for making choices of a strategical nature are highlighted.