Sailing in tide..quiz.

Tide can and does lift on both tacks.

It just doesn't lift in the same manner as a windshift lift which is what you and your maths fail to grasp.

Originally posted by mozzy ]Now, add in wind. all boat are still effected just the same by tide (this is where iGRF is wrong about board being more or less effected by being lighter or having less hull in the water or whatever). The tidal vector is the same for all boats.

Now now, don't go getting above yourself, some of what you say here is true, but your start line scenario was wrong, and so is your assertion that boards and boats being more or less affected by the tide.

I pointed out earlier, a cross tidal vector can induce a board onto the plane, the same vector would never induce planing in something like your RS200, ergo the lighter board would seek out sectors of a course where tidal lee bow were stronger.


I have another scenario for you to consider, in your {doesn't make any difference which angle the boat is to the tide) assumptions.

Lets take the typical triangle with a cross tide, but the 1st leg has been set broad and the return leg of the triangle is tight.

The advantageous cross tide assists on the 1st leg, but is disadvantageous on the 2nd.

It is still a reach though but the wind is failing

Boat A gybes and sails for the mark with the tide still on the weather side of the foils.

Boat B gybes higher and presents the bow directly into the tidal flow.

Who gets to the lee mark first?

Edited by iGRF - 04 Oct 17 at 10:00am

Sam, I take your point, but if you really want to be a pedant, then wind resistance moving a boat through the water = sailing. To be totally becalmed in tide, the true wind would need to have an equal vector to the tide, to cancel out (i.e same direction and strength). I.e wind felt on the water is zero = flat calm. 

Edited by mozzy - 05 Oct 17 at 4:06pm

As a pondie I'm clueless but intrigued.