Can You Really Sail 14 Degrees Off the Wind ?

[Philsboat]

Saw a rig like that on a 35' monohull years ago.From Australia I think.

Phil

[DannySt]

Back to topic...
I sailed 14 degrees to true wind quite a lot of times, when practicing anchoring under sails, I have to mention it was backwards...

[NotQuiteLost]

It is funny how we're on our fourth page of consensus here. The closest we've come to dissent is ice boat sailing? That's pretty funny.

[Dockhead]

This was taken last week crossing the English Channel:



The close-hauled wind instrument reads 28 degrees, but the boat was on autopilot with the wind-following function set at 35 degrees, which is as close as I can set it for a long passage without constantly fiddling with the sails. The 28 degrees was a brief moment rounding up a little in a puff.

In good conditions with relatively smooth water and a steady sailing wind, sailing 35 degrees off the apparent wind gives me a tack through just about 90 degrees on the GPS or at the very best just a couple of degrees less. That's with no tide.

As someone said, you get a huge knock on your tacking angle with an adverse tide, and a huge lift with a favorable tide. That's because a favorable tide when sailing upwind creates a vector towards the wind which alters your COG compared to your course through the water.

[imagine2frolic]

& cruising cats can sail to windward.....hehehehehehe......i2f

[s/v 'Faith']

I think maybe your friend (and some posters on this thread) do not understand or appreciate the difference between true and apparent wind.