Tacktick Micro Compass User Manual - page 4
Micro Compass
3
GBR
3 - Definitions and Terminology
True Wind Direction:
The instantaneous magnetic bearing of the true wind.
Mean Wind Direction:
The average true wind direction during the race.
Tacking Angle:
The angle through which the boat turns when changing from one tack to the
next.
4 - Introduction
4.1. Racing and wind shifts
Like most things in sailing, the wind does
not remain constant in either strength or
direction. The crew tend to react
naturally to gusts but find wind shifts
more difficult to detect. The wind does,
however, tend to shift in regular patterns,
oscillating between a back and a veer.
These oscillations give the sailor a
chance to gain an advantage by sailing a
shorter distance to the upwind mark.
In the diagram, the boat on the right sails
a shorter course by tacking when
headed and thereby sailing mostly in
lifts.
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