Sailboat

sailboat

The first recorded car accident happened in 1600. During the first attempt at travel, the sailing machine invented and built by Simon Stevin capsized. This Dutch mathematician, also known as Stevinius, admired the sailing ships passing by his house. Seeing the work the wind does for shipping, he began to design a road vehicle that could move independently (without horses, oxen, donkeys, etc.) using the power of the wind. For a whole year he planned and considered, until he decided to build a wheeled vehicle according to his project. He financed this project himself. Fortunately, he had a large fortune and could devote some of his hesitant attempts to build innovative carriages. He was supported by its ruler, Prince Maurice of Orange, who ruled in these areas.

Under Stevin's direction, a long two-axle van was built. The drive was to be provided by sails mounted on two masts. Control was also taken from water transport. The change in direction was achieved by changing the position of the rear axle, as well as the rudder blade. I think it took a lot of effort.

On the day when the first launch was planned, there was a strong wind, which made the designer very happy, because such a force could move his car. The very beginning of the journey was very successful. The car pulled away with the wind blowing almost from behind, with only slight side gusts. However, everything changed at the turn, when a strong side wind suddenly blew. Unfortunately, the car did not go further, as it overturned. At this moment, Stevinius, firmly wielding the control panel, turned the rear axle so that when the cart overturned, he was almost thrown out of the catapult onto a nearby meadow. Only in bruises and scratches, he soon came to his senses. He did not despair and began to check the design and calculations. He found that too little ballast had been provided. After adjusting the calculations and loading the car, further attempts were made to drive a sailing car. Successfully. The car rushed along the roads, and its speed depended on the strength of the wind.

The prototype cost paid off for Stevin when he started his own trucking company. It transported people and goods between Scheveningen and Petten. The sailboat raced along the coastal road at an average speed of 33,9 km / h, which made it possible to cover a distance of about 68 kilometers in two hours. During the journey, it was sometimes necessary to adjust the sails, which did not interfere with the full set of 28 passengers. They could very quickly cover a path that would take all day.

The Prince of Orange, supporting the designer, of course, also made a trip in an unusual car. The annals mention that he even "deigned to manage it." Apparently, the sailing machine was very useful to him during the next war. Spanish Admiral Franz Mendoza participated in several voyages.

Simon Stevin was a lecturer in mathematics at the University of Leiden. There he organized an engineering school in 1600. From 1592 he worked as an engineer and later as military and financial commissioner for Maurice of Orange. He published works on the decimal system of measures and decimal fractions. He contributed to the introduction of the decimal system in Europe as the main system of weights and measures. Like most scientists of that time, he was engaged in several fields of knowledge.