Yup... straight line sailing is faster.. turn = slowing.


OzOne wrote:
Yup, it's faster, but letting the boat roll up in the gusts and
shooting just a tad gains a whole lot of ground to windward.
Straight line an Etchells and you'll get murdered!


The way I think of it, in windward sailing you are either gaining speed
or gaining height. THe ideal would be to go fast & high, but usually as
you put the boat closer & closer to the wind, it loses drive and begins
to slow. The key is to do it gently and to know how to flatten &
super-trim the sails so as to produce a long "hang" time. Then you also
have to know the point at which the boat's underwater foils lose enough
effectiveness that you're making more leeway than gaining ground to
windward.

Also, anticipate waves & lulls so as not to get caught high & slow.

If you're going to get into a pinching contest, go into it with speed!

Fresh Breezes- Doug King