LEE BOW EFFECT

I still maintain though taken the favoured tack first is better nine times out of ten for all the reasons given.

The stick in the stream theory is rubbished for the reasons i gave, the stick in the stream has no variable power source.

The tide and the wind are two energy sources, have them both working with you in unison works better than one even partially cancelling the other out.

So if you assume that with the tide exactly on the nose you have two energy sources, the true wind and the created wind, the apparent that results drives like normal, you don't make so much speed over the ground, the bottom, but you make the speed you would normally make over the water.

Introduce the energy from the tide on the nose, even partially and you strengthen the true wind, this in turn speeds up the created wind, which moves the vector of the apparent wind aft, lifting the boat.

So, if you have the tide on the nose and you can pinch a couple of degrees then all the equations start to cut in, if the boat beneath you doesn't, then you win. Now that assumes you are not already pointing above the mean power band, we all sail either side of say 5 degrees, some sail closer to the wind than others, some react to lifts quicker than others. But I guarantee this if Mr Perry is in One Design Boat A) and I'm in One Design Boat B) and we are not at the limit of how high we can point and the tide is exactly on the nose, then I'm going to lift my nose so the tide hits the lee bow, every time. If we are already on the limit, i.e. by pinching too much the boat will slow more than can be gained then it won't work, so as i said it depends on what craft we're sailing, with boards it will always work, it may not function for him in some lead mine, it almost certainly will work on a 505 or my Alto, it works on the RS500 we've nailed a 470 doing it or more than the odd occasion.

So, I can only offer you this empirical stuff I'm afraid, maybe I should get my calculator and slide rule out..

Skiffs and foilers are not my field, I'm asking, not telling. Formula Boards which are very wide windsurfing boards which plane upwind using just a fin and normal Raceboards which react like conventional dinghies are the two examples I use to illustrate Fast planing shallow angles over fast displacement regular angles.

They tell me B14's plane to weather, but I've only twice experienced fast planing to weather in a dinghy once was an l3k in strong wind and the other was my new boat which is designed to work like a Formula windsurfing board.

So ignore the planing thing, it's a red herring, tidal stuff is really the province of sub planing when we're looking for more power or at the very least not wanting to cede what we already have.

Surely if the 'lee bow effect' works and the two boats are the same class whether skiff, windsurf, yacht, whatever the same hull. then the 'out come' would be the same.

 that is to say if you think lee bow works one of the boats will be clear ahead ......the boat with tidal lee bow?

If it was you which boat would you be? and why? is there a difference purely down to the tide?

I think that all the offenders (and GRF and John Emmett should know better), should be taken to one side and have it explained to them with the aid of beer mats and a table cloth. So that we can finally lay this myth to rest!