It's a good question. I once took a tactics course where the
instructors spent about half the course trying to beat "tack on
headers" out of our heads and replace it with "always be on the
favored tack"

Another way to answer: "When is a header big enough to tack on?" is
"When it's big enough to put you on the unfavored tack."

Of course the question is which tack is favored. Another poster
mentioned that the perfect oscillating breeze exists only on paper,
but it's a good clean case from which to work out the general
principle, which you can then modify to cover persistent shifts and
random breezes.

Let's say it's oscillating between 230 and 270, and the mark bears 250
from the starting line. Any time the wind is less than 250, port tack
is favored. Any time the wind is greater than 250, starboard is
favored. (so long as you stay out of the corners!) Lets say your boat
tacks through 90 degrees. So you're sailing along on starboard tack
and your compass reads 225, meaning the wind is coming out of 270.
Now comes a header and your compass reads 220. Now 215, now 210. Your
crew is screaming "Cap'n, we've been headed 15 degrees, when are we
gonna tack?"

You answer "Yes, we've been headed 15 degrees. We used to be on the
favored tack by 20 degrees, now we're only on the favored tack by 5
degrees, but we're still on the favored tack. When our course goes
below 205, *then* we'll tack.




(Shawn Marshall) wrote in message . com...
I have often heard the phrase "Tack On Headers" and supposedly this
tactic is used to help you recognise a shift. What I dont understand
is how much of a header is a HEADER ? I often notice when I'm being
knocked and if I sail on a little longer I may be lifted again so ask
myself was that a header I should've tacked on ? I often wait till I'm
nocked persistently e.g. compass heading changes so that I'm sailing a
persistently lower coarse and then tack but I feel like I've missed
the lift by this time. Should I just tack as soon as I notice the
header or wait a little to see how it plays out ? I would really
appreciate your opinions on this one.

Thanks,

Shawn.