[Paddlewise] wing theory

I have been thinking about the wing and wonder if the following makes sense.

First a note on efficiency, which by
definition is the amount of energy loss, between the place you put energy in
and the place you take it out.  If you imagine a perfectly vertical paddle,
drawn straight back parallel to the boat, then, BETWEEN THE BLADE AND THE
BOAT'S FORWARD MOTION, there is no energy loss at all, INDEPENDENT OF THE
SHAPE OF THE BLADE.  (100% efficiency.)  This is because all the work you do
on the paddle goes into moving the boat forward.  The paddle could be
square, or have holes in it and efficiency is still 100%.  The paddle is
just generating drag and changing the drag coefficient has no effect energy
loss between the blade and forward motion.

However, it can have a great effect on efficiency between the energy the
paddler expends and the energy transferred to the boat.  This distinction of
where the losses occur is crucial.

In practice the paddle is not vertical, nor does it move straight back.  The
wing stroke uses arms that are essentially locked through the power phase,
causing the paddle to naturally move outward as well as back, generating
both lift and drag in the same direction.  This reduces the energy loss
between the energy expended by the paddler and that received by the boat.

Changing the size of the wing blade, or length of the paddle changes the
gear ratio, just as for the conventional paddle, and should be chosen for
the best efficiency of the particular paddler and the particular
distance/speed he is racing.  The paddler is a motor, and like any motor, is
most efficient at a particular speed, which is generally not the speed for
maximum torque.


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