How close to the wind?

[Quoddy]

This is a quote from a “Sailing Magazine Boat Test” for the Hunter 260.

”The 260 is not exceptionally close-winded but crack her off a couple of points and she gets you there in fine style."

For those of you who know this Hunter or others similar to it, what does this mean to you in terms of degrees to the wind?

 

[Clark]

Do you have a wind vane? If so and it is set for 45* (90 total), then set your course so that the tail of the arrow is on the outside edge of the tab. My guess is that it is somewhere around 50*-55*. Otherwise a real point is about 11* and one point off the sharpest angle a boat can sail would be about that (assuming the sharpest is about 40-45*).

 

[Quoddy]

How close is close?

Had a Windex, osprey sat on it and broke it.

What I’m getting at is, if I sail on one tack at 230* and the other at 118* without a wind shift then I’m sailing at 56* to the true wind. As far as the H260 is concerned, is this about as close as you can expect to get and that's what they were talking about in the review? They are considering close-winded to be 40* to 45*?

 

[Guest]

Pointing

Our boat came with an Autohelm ST50 wind system. I installed a Windex shortly after taking delivery and set the unit at 35 degrees on both sides. Both systems are pretty close to each other, but I use the ST50 most of the time. Our P42 powers very well up to about 33 degrees off the wind. Pinching any closer (32, 31,...etc.) you can feel the wind detaching and the sails de-powering, but I will use this technique when strong puffs approach with the desire to help keep her on her feet and the admiral comfortable. Your boat, if properly trimmed, should handle about the same.

Terry Cox