"Geoff Schultz" wrote in message
.. .
I was recently corresponding with an individual regarding reefing points
and sent him a back-lit photo of the sails. While I was looking at it, I
realized how much the whip SSB antenna is tilted backwards (about 10
degrees), and was wondering what effect that tilt would have.

Next to nothing. Watch this radiation pattern of a monopole on a ground
plane:
http://www.kyes.com/antenna/navy/rpatterns/antena01.gif

Meindert
PE1GRV