Peter van Oossanen
Peter van Oossanen
Peter van Oossanen (born June 20, 1943) is a Dutch naval architect who, from 1969 to 1991, was principal scientist at the Maritime Research Institute Netherlands (MARIN)[1]. His research on sailing yachts, between 1976 and 1982, led to the design of the winged keel of ‘Australia II,’ the surprise winner of the 1983 America’s Cup. It was a victory that ended a 132-year US winning streak. His work in hydrodynamics earned him various awards and medals. After he retired in 2013, Van Oossanen wrote a series of four books on ‘The Science of Sailing.’
Early life and education
Peter van Oossanen was born June 20, 1943, in Haarlem, the Netherlands, to Pieter van Oossanen and Adriana Johanna Bakker. The family emigrated to Australia in 1951. Van Oossanen graduated from Balgowlah Boys High School, near Sydney, in 1960 and studied naval architecture at the University of New South Wales. In his third year, aged 20, he decided to return to the Netherlands to study naval architecture at Delft University of Technology.
Early career
As he started on his master’s thesis in 1969, Van Oossanen joined MARIN. He obtained an M.Sc. in 1970, and a Ph.D. in 1974, both from Delft University of Technology. For the latter degree, he developed the first analytical method to calculate the occurrence and extent of cavitation on foils and ship propellers. For his research into ship propulsion and cavitation, he was awarded Britain's Royal Institution of Naval Architects' Small Craft Medal (1981) and its Maritime Innovation Award (2015) as well as the Tideman Medal from the Royal Netherlands Navy (1983).
The 1983 America's Cup
Van Oossanen played a key role in the America’s Cup win of Australia II in 1983. English-Australian businessman Alan Bond arrived at Newport, R.I, with the yacht that was billed as a threat to US dominance of the 12 Metre class, then used in America’s Cup races. Australia II was designed by Ben Lexcen and skippered by John Bertrand. Its innovative "winged keel" fed controversy from the outset of the challenger series. It was designed by Van Oossanen[2][3][4], but for years Lexcen, who died in 1988, was credited for the design[5]. The New York Yacht club alleged Australia II was not a legal 12 Metre class yacht but race officials let Australia II participate. The yacht's speed and keel design generated massive international media attention at the 1983 series.
The origin of the winged keel and the design of the hull dates to 1976 when Van Oossanen began researching a calculation method to determine the detailed performance of sailing yachts. The methodology he had developed by 1979, made it possible to make performance improvements to 12 Metre class yachts, one of which was that of adopting a length on the waterline that was shorter than earlier yachts if the lead in the keel could be positioned low enough. That shorter length enabled the yacht to carry more sail area.
Van Oossanen approached Alan Bond about his research results. Bond invited him to Sydney to meet with him and Lexcen and subsequently hired Van Oossanen to design and tank-test models at MARIN. To obtain a suitably low center of gravity of the lead in the keel, Van Oossanen asked the Dutch Aerospace Centre to calculate the merits of radical keel shapes. He and Joop Slooff of the Aerospace Center, came up with the ‘upside down’ keel winglets to reduce the strong circulation from the high pressure side to the low pressure side, at its bottom.
Van Oossanen was interviewed by Dan Spurr, editor of ‘Professional Boatbuilder’ magazine in September 2009. It was the first time he spoke publicly of his involvement[6]. This was picked up in a front-page article by Rick Feneley of ‘The Sydney Morning Herald.’[3]
In 1992, Van Oossanen founded Van Oossanen Naval Architects. Upon retirement in 2013, his son Perry succeeded him. By then, the studio comprised 30 naval architects, engineers and hydrodynamicists. It markets energy-saving solutions stemming from Peter van Oossanen's early research such as the Hull Vane, a hydrofoil beneath the transom.
Published Papers and Books
Van Oossanen has published for peer review purposes in more than 100 papers[7]. In retirement, he has written a series of four books on “The Science of Sailing,” a guide to the physics of sailing and the naval architecture governing the performance of sailing yachts.
- The science of sailing - Part 1; ISBN 978-90-827682-0-6 Search this book on
. - The science of sailing - Part 2; ISBN 978-90-827682-1-3 Search this book on .
- The science of sailing - Part 3; ISBN 978-90-827682-2-0 Search this book on .
- The science of sailing - Part 4; ISBN 978-90-827682-3-7 Search this book on .
References
- ↑ "Maritime Research Institute Netherlands | MARIN". Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Discover Benelux - Van Oossanen Naval Architects". Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ 3.0 3.1 Feneley, Rick (October 14, 2009). "The 'lie' that captured the America's Cup". The Sydney Morning Herald.
- ↑ "The development of the winged keel for twelve-metre yachts". Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Slooff, Joop. Australia II and the America's Cup: The untold, inside story of The Keel. ISBN 978-1530590230. Search this book on
- ↑ Spurr, Dan (2009). "The Hydrodynamicist". Professional Boatbuilder. No. 121: 50–60.
- ↑ "Van Oossanen Naval Architects - Papers and publications". Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help)
External links
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