Walt wrote:

Ok. Then you should also be aware of the fact that "beating" usually
means sailing close hauled and tacking back and forth to go to a point
directly upwind. So it's entirely reasonably for someone to beat
three miles upwind and run three miles back to his starting point.

Got the idea. Would a single leg between tacks therefore be called "a beat",
or is it more like a collective term for the series of tacks?


(although the total distance sailed would be more than 6 miles)

Yup, we had a little conversation about this on Sunday. I came up with three
ways to reckon distance - as the crow flies, through the water, and over
ground.


Of course, since Ed is terminologically impared, who knows what the
heck he did.

Quite.


--
Wally
www.forthsailing.com
www.wally.myby.co.uk