Can You Really Sail 14 Degrees Off the Wind ?

[captain58sailin]

Not happening. Maybe he has a hallucinogenic in his wine.

[Captain Bill]

Under certain conditions with the sails in as tight as they can I can keep the sails inflated to a little less than 15 degrees apparent. If the wind is light and I apply a bit of assistance from some long dead dinosaurs I can actually get a half knot over the speed I usually get from the same RPM. Most of the time I would just say I was in irons, not that I was going all day at 14 degrees. I'll bet he had had more than one glass of wine.

[senormechanico]

His sails might be full, but I'll bet his VMG is near zero.

[cal40john]

Maybe he sails on ice. The link below only computes the AWA for going downwind of 6-7 degrees for Skeeters, and 10-12 for DNs. Looking at the track plot they show in the link using a 90 degree tack angle, 10 knots true wind and 30 knots boatspeed, I get an 11 degree AWA for upwind.


http://www.nalsa.org/Articles/Cetus/...ance-Cetus.pdf

John

[daedaluscan]

He meant forty!

[s/v Beth]

He was talking 14. When I mentioned my amasement and said I couldn't get less than 30, he looked at me with a pitiful look and said "yeah, now that I don't want to work so hard I sail in the 20- maybe even up to 30".
BTW- sorry I didn't say hello. I always feel a bit lost in Friday Harbor with so many boats moored. Tell me where you are and next time I will knock on your door!

[David M]

I would imagine that angle is inversely proportional to his blood alcohol level times a constant where: Θ (angle of attack) = 1/BAL x C (constant)

[bob_77903]

14 degrees....Yeah right ...as my late Father use to say...What, are you a comedian...

[cchesley]

Newt,

Sherriff's dock, closest to land all by myself in the 'yellow' zone. If I'm not there, I'm sailing.

[PAR]

14 degrees is possable in some hull forms, with certian rigs, but not even close for a Nordic 40. Come on, it's a classic Perry design, mid 230's D/L, SA/D around 17.5 and 40% ballast ratio. Fairly impressive for it's era, but tacking through 70 would be amazing.

[s/v Beth]

Thanks guys- glad to know that I really hadn't lost it, he had. CC- I will go look for a Cat in the Sheriffs dock next time. Does that mean you are law enforcement? And that design up there is definitely the boat!

[osirissail]

Ah! it is not so difficult. With my Raymarine ST-80 Wind Direction indicator I frequently see it display 15 deg off the wind - but when I look outside at the little Davis wind telltale on the shrouds they are point very close to abeam. Maybe his instrument is like mine.

[speedoo]

I think 14 degrees apparent can be done on the right boat (I've been told the E22 can point very high) with a super slippery bottom and great sails, in flat water with say 10 15 knots of breeze. But it demands great attention to the telltales and the feel of the helm.

Flat water makes huge difference because you never have to reach off for power to punch through waves.

[Bash]

if a Nordic 40 could point that high, we'd all own Nordic 40s. Bob Perry would be president of the USA, and the makers of Viagra would be out of business.

[SvenG]

Our Senta II will only do 60 degrees apparent on starboard tack but we do just about zero on port tack. I've thought about going up the mast and calibrating the 30-year-old Standard Horizons but why destroy the performance on port tack !?


-Sven