Breaking wave prediction with boundary elements and finite volumes for use with small boat capsize studies: Convergence and resource requirements

The prediction of extreme breaking waves forms the foundation of many fields of research. The authors have recently completed a study in the capsize and re-righting of sailing yachts using breaking wave prediction to enhance experimental results. As breaking wave prediction is only the beginning of any research program a prediction method is required to be both accurate and computationally inexpensive. This paper describes the investigation of two methods varying in computational demand. It has been concluded that a non-linear free surface boundary element method is immediately realisable with application to a research program requiring a large number of predicted waves. A finite volume approach is realisable, but its engineering application across numerous waves is difficult.