I thought I understood the basics of upwind sailing. I was under the impression that if the wind shifted in your favor, you just simply stay in "point" mode. And if the wind shifted in a way that was bad, You also stay in "point" mode and tack if possible. But someone was telling me that it is actually better to Foot the boat in a lift and pinch the boat in a knock. I'm going to have to think about this. A quick look at some polars will settle this. I think this is a job for excel!!! At least with an excel macro I will be able to calculate when Tacking is worth it, and if footing in a lift is really a good idea.
3 comments:
I think the theory about footing in a lift (at least in an oscillating wind) is based on the fact that if you foot you will sail faster towards the next header on which you will tack and gain even more on the boats that haven't reached it yet.
I can see footing in a lift but when is pinching ever fast? Buddy Melges has some S curve theory for upwind sailing that says to alternately pinch and foot but that's independent of wind shifts.
EVK4, I also read sailing smart, I know exactly what you are talking about :) When I say pinching I mean some sacrifice in boat speed but supposedly the gain to windward is actually better!
The inherent weirdness lies in the fact that the boat's polars do not tell the complete story for they only give the best VMG when you are sailing directly into the wind. If the wind shifts a new set of polars is required. Well, that isn't entirely true. The information is there, but a bit convoluted.
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