For the coastal sailor, upwind sailing skills are critical: there's nothing like a lee shore to focus the mind on tacking angles and leeway. For the ocean sailor the challenges are VMG, handling swell and avoiding a crash gybe, but ongoing developments in hull, rig, sail and hardware design have generated huge variations in how we do this. There's a confusing array of kit and tactics to choose from, so it's important to spend time on research before spending money on equipment.
The first rule of any big decision is to know yourself, your boat and your crew. Neil Mackley, of North Sails, explains: "The thing I most enjoy is sitting down with people and finding out about them. Are they comfortable handling a pole? Are they happy working on the foredeck or would they prefer to manage things from the cockpit? How much stowage space do they have?"
When it comes to the boat, one of the most important metrics is the efficient downwind sailing angle. Broadly speaking, light, flat-bottomed, modern yachts will sail much faster on a reach than on a run. Comparing the new Swan 48 with its predecessors illustrates these changes: the current model is 14% faster on a heading of 120° TWA than 150° TWA. The previous generations only have a 7% difference (see table, above right).
Scrutiny of the polars for the 1995 Frers Hallberg-Rassy 46 gives a similar picture. When flying a spinnaker in 14 knots it makes 7.1 knots on a TWA of 165° and 8.4 knots on a TWA of 120°. The extra 1.3 knots accumulate to a 400500-mile gain over a transatlantic passage, but the 45° difference in angle will cost far more in extra distance.
Heavy-displacement, traditional cruisers won't make exponential gains by reaching. "Wherever possible I run the data through a velocity prediction program to find out where the sweet spot is," Mackley says, "and for most cruising boats it pays to sail deep."
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der August 2022-Ausgabe von Yachting World.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der August 2022-Ausgabe von Yachting World.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
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TAKING OWNERSHIP
WILL BRUTON ON UPSKILLING ON BOARD
SPECIAL REPORT
DAN HOUSTON ON CHANGES TO THE SHIPPING FORECAST
NAVIGATION BRIEFING
TOM CHENEY ON RACING ACROSS THE CHANNEL
NEW YACHTS
SOME EXCITING, AND VERY DIFFERENT, NEW 40-FOOTERS
21ST CENTURY TWINS
RM'S DISTINCTIVE NEW FLAGSHIP OFFERS AN ENTICING COMBINATION OF GOOD SAILING QUALITIES, SPACIOUS ACCOMMODATION AND TWIN KEELS AS STANDARD
UNLIKELY HERO
A CROSS-EUROPE ADVENTURE IN A 10FT DINGHY SEES SANDY MACKINNON NEARLY COME A CROPPER OFF WHITSTABLE’S MUD FLATS
HER OWN WAY
COLE BRAUER IS THE FIRST AMERICAN WOMAN TO SAIL SOLO NON-STOP AROUND THE WORLD. HELEN FRETTER FINDS OUT HOW SHE’S SHAKING THINGS UP
THE MIGHTY ESSEQUIBO
JAMES AND JAYNE PEARCE DISCOVER THEIRS IS THE ONLY YACHT IN THE COUNTRY CRUISING REMARKABLE GUYANA
CAPE NORTH
CRUISING BEYOND THE ARCTIC CIRCLE, JANNEKE KUYSTERS AND WIETZE VAN DER LAAN ENJOY A SURPRISING SUMMER IN NORWAY
DOWN WINDING
WHICH DOWNWIND SAILS ARE THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR YOU? AND HOW DO YOU TAKE THE STRESS OUT OF SAIL HANDLING ON A TRADEWIND PASSAGE? TOBY HODGES QUIZZED MORE THAN 240 SKIPPERS IN LAST YEAR'S ARC TO FIND OUT