Don White wrote:
"Dixon" wrote in message
. ..
Just curious, in degrees, how close can a sailboat travel into the wind?
Forget about efficiency in getting somewhere. At what point is it just
impossible to move forward?
Dixon


I understand it's approx. 45 deg off the wind on either tack. So.. that's
90 degrees out of 360 that you can't sail.
Results will differ a bit depending on boat, condition of sails etc.



Dixon,
Beating into the wind is called close haul sailing, and as Don said, how
close you can sail into the wind depends up your boat and sails, but it
is common for racing boats to sail 30 degrees into the wind. Look at
the telltails on the jib, and keep easing the boat into the wind as you
tighten the jib. When the tale tails and/or sails start to luff that is
as close as you and the boat can sail into the wind.

Join a beer can racing crew to learn how to trim your boat properly for
all points of sail.