Downwind tactics

[Tim R.]

Well there's an oxymoron!

It's so strange, we tried jibing hotter angles in our Pearson 30 and nearly always did better when we went wing-and-wing. I swear, we don't suck, and neither did our competition. We won LOTS of racing going wing-and-wing.

I can confirm the winning:cry::cry::cry:

 

[Alan]

Gail, no offense intended, but I'm not advocating against w/w. I am advocating against DDW. Gybing downwind while w/w and sailing slightly hotter angles is by far the better way to go. As the wind speed goes lighter requiring hotter angles, there comes a point where reaching is more effective than running. That point is reached as soon as the genoa is clear of the wind shadow of the main.
Even the spinnaker classes do not sail DDW. They almost always sail optimum gybing angles for exactly the same reason.

 

[Tim R.]

Another factor we have in Portland harbor that sometimes works against light wind reaching is current. If we get a 1 1/2 kt current behind us in light air then DDW is the best course. Reaching just slows you down because you cannot generate any lift with the keel or rudder.

 

[sailingdog]

It really depends on the boat, the wind speed and the currents... no one solution is going to work all the time. Most boats will do a bit better sailing slightly off the wind rather than going DDW. Dead downwind is generally the least favorable point of sail from a performance stand point.