Effects of tide on boat speed

Originally posted by eric_c

Originally posted by eric_c

Originally posted by Sam.Spoons

I experienced similar on Bala, two Div 1 Windsurfers, 30 yards apart, sailing exactly the same course upwind on opposite tacks.

Since they pump their way up wind, when it's calm, it's their choice which tack to be on?

Either that or one was 'leebowing' with some sort of divide by zero (tide) error?
Makes as much sense as anything else on that subject.... 

Must have been the lee bow effect then  

I was one of the two boards and there was enough wind not to need to pump. And, anyway, back then pumping was illegal even on windsurfers. Later on, if there was no wind, on Raceboards we'd just pump 'dead downwind' in any direction, I reckon I could make 2 or 3 knots in a flat calm*.

* Coming from a dinghy background I was fiercely opposed to legalising pumping on windsurfers but when it became a 'fait accompli' I just learned how to do it (and got quite good at it too).

Edited by Sam.Spoons - 18 Nov 19 at 9:38pm