More weird sailing science Igrf style..

So, in my constant quest to seek ideas that would make vertically prejudiced yet strangely handsome helms perform adequately despite the passage of years, I put a suggestion to a fellow traveller in my office the other day, and it seems it's already been adopted, or may yet be taken up by no less than the AC team.

The suggestion was the effect a decent sized gyroscope might have to combat heeling, which is of course the lightweights nemesis.

So I was pleasantly surprised to learn that not only was it in consideration but, if I have gotten the right end of the stick, using regenerative power apparently the F1 lot are considering a system that if permitted by the rules, they'll use eventually to do away with the grinding to control the various systems.

All very futuristic stuff, but if this flywheel system also works like a gyroscope it can allegedly reduce say a 15 degree heel to as little as 4 if my source is correct.

Now if this is going on, there must have been some previous experience, I can't believe it has only just come about, so the question is has anyone seen or heard of it, and could it be used at our level?

An interesting development I thought.

Renault had a "Mass damper" for a while until it got banned. Basically a weight on a rod that used inertia to help control pitch

There are ships that use anti-roll gyros.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SNJ88mBusbE

So the next question is how heavy or how much mass would a wheel have to be at the base of the mast, to prevent say the new D zero from heeling and thereby doing away with all that hiking nonsense?

Stick four powerballs down each side and try it!