Yes, I see that. That's why, if you don't speed up, you have a better angle to point to. So what am I missing here? When comparing your pointing angle to other boats, you are comparing yourself to true wind. The apparent wind moves ahead as you gain speed, always. If true wind gains speed, it will bring it back aft, just as you say, but your forward movement means apparent wind is always forward of true wind. The faster you go, the more forward your apparent wind moves. If two boats are reaching in the same wind on the same heading but one is moving faster, her apparent wind is going to be farther forward than they slower boat. So, why can't the slower boat alter coarse to move closer to the wind than the faster boat?
- Will (Dragonfly)
@Will Gilmore
Are you are clear on the relationship between "VMG" and "target boat speed" through the water? What you wrote seems to have that concept wrong to me, but maybe I am misreading what you wrote.
When sailing to an upwind destination, if you "foot off" (sail a few degrees lower than optimal towards your destination) your boat can go through the water faster as shown on a knot meter, but it takes you longer to reach your upwind destination.
A similar concept applies when sailing towards a downwind destination. If you sail a "hotter angle" ( sail a few degrees higher than optimal towards your destination), your knotmeter will tell you that your speed through the water is greater than before. However, it will take you longer to reach your down wind destination.
Saying the same thing in different words:
Given two comparable boats and comparable skippers on the same course, both trying to get to an upwind mark, both sailing above 90 degrees true...
If boat A is sailing at the target speed which achieves maximum VMG upwind and boat B is sailing 5 degrees lower than boat A, then boat B can sail through the water faster, as measured by the knot meter . B is sailing "faster," but loses the race to A. Boat A is going to reach the upwind before B does.
Judy B
Ps I hope I got the words right. A graph of a boat's "polars" is much more mathmatically succinct.