efficiciency etc
Thing 1=I know that most polar charts show something akin to 10-30 degrees above DDW is best for optimal VMG, but under heavy conditions, once you have achieved hull speed, is there any point to not just running for the mark on a windward leeward course? This subject has been much debated by a few of us crewing together. Thing 2=If you could fly double headsails or spin/genoa in a wing/wing configuration, ala Jose (which you obviously can't efficiently do with anything much above DDW), then aren't the polar charts at that point comparing apples to oranges (since they are all plotted based on a single headsail? If you can have an extra sail in a run, isn't that a bonus, over and above the polar chart? Especially if you could break into a plane. Hypothetical question: how would a double headsail setup, running DDW, theoretically compare to a single headsail reaching a bit higher (and chasing optimum VMG), in terms of boatspeed?