Numerical simulation
Our origins are rooted in CFD. Our expertise has grown alongside the needs of sail makers, propeller manufacturers, and hull designers, taking us from potential-flow codes to advanced simulation techniques. Today, we apply that experience across engineering sectors to provide highly accurate predictions of fluid behavior and system interaction.
CFD is at the heart of our engineering approach. We support the full design cycle, from early concept assessment to high-fidelity validation, with experience in sailing aerodynamics, propeller analysis, foil development, and hull hydrodynamics.
For production projects, we use robust turbulence models that balance accuracy and efficiency. For validation and advanced studies, we apply higher-fidelity methods when the physics requires deeper insight. This multilevel CFD capability allows us to support both fast-paced industrial development and deeper research-driven innovation, always selecting the right level of fidelity for the problem at hand.
Elegance and Tradition
PRODUCTION
Our standard CFD approach for production projects. Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes simulations provide reliable predictions of aero-hydrodynamic performance, loads, pressure distribution, and efficiency across a wide range of operating conditions. RANS is the foundation of our day-to-day engineering workflow, enabling informed design decisions with industrially viable turnaround times.
VALIDATION
Used in validation cases where greater fidelity is required. Hybrid RANS-LES methods capture more complex and unsteady flow behaviour, making them especially valuable when local separation, vortical structures, wake development, or transient effects play a critical role. These simulations are typically applied when additional confidence and resolution are needed beyond standard production modelling.
Power and Comfort
Elegance and Tradition
RESEARCH
Reserved for internal research and targeted high-end investigations. Direct Numerical Simulation resolves the flow physics at the finest scales without turbulence modelling assumptions, making it a powerful tool for understanding complex phenomena and generating knowledge that can later strengthen our engineering methodologies and design capability.
Finite Element Method is an additional capability that complements our fluid-dynamics core. We use FEM when projects require structural validation under significant aero-hydrodynamic loads, particularly in components such as foils, masts, and other highly loaded boat structures. These analyses help assess stress levels, deformation, and structural limits, supporting safer and more informed design decisions.
While FEM is not the core of our activity, it is an important extension of our engineering toolbox, allowing us to connect fluid loads with structural response when project requirements go beyond pure hydrodynamic or aerodynamic performance.
For projects where fluid and structure strongly influence each other, we provide Fluid-Structure Interaction capabilities. FSI enables the combined analysis of flow behaviour and structural response within the same problem, which is especially relevant when deformation affects aerodynamic or hydrodynamic performance, and vice versa. This approach is valuable in advanced design and validation scenarios where a purely fluid or purely structural analysis would not be sufficient.
As with FEM, FSI is a high-value capability we can incorporate for complex projects that demand a deeper multiphysics understanding.
Whether the need is fast and reliable production CFD, higher-fidelity validation, or multiphysics support through FEM and FSI, we tailor the simulation strategy to the engineering question. Our goal is always the same: to deliver accurate predictions, reduce uncertainty, and help clients move from concept to performance with confidence.
During the 33rd America’s Cup cycle, Mario Caponnetto contributed to hydrodynamic assessment workstreams aligned with the BMW Oracle wing-sail platform, the configuration that ultimately won the Match. This milestone marked the shift toward aero-hydrodynamic integration in Cup design culture.
BMW Oracle Racing
America’s Cup / Aero-Hydro Integration / Performance Engineering
In 2021, Caponnetto Hueber led the CFD, foil design, and hydrodynamic engineering for the AC75 of Luna Rossa Challenge, the eventual Prada Cup winner. We deployed multiscale CFD and aero-hydro coupling to ensure optimum lift and control. Rapid iteration delivered performance gains under tight competition timelines.
Luna Rossa Challenge
Racing Concept / CFD / Foil Design