This is a quote from a catalog description of the Tackktick tactical race compass. “Downwind, you can see how far off dead downwind you are and when you should gybe for optimal VMG“. Can someone explain the part about how it helps determine” when you should gybe for optimal VMG”?
Tacktick gybe?
- Thread starter Quoddy
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I thought that we had gone over that ( in a limited sense ) in the "Downwind" thread.
The Tacktick compass(es) will help you keep track of the wind shifts, so you would know when the wind has shifted enought to make it worthwhile ( in a speed sense ) to tack or gybe.
You have to know beforehand what the optimal true wind angle is for your boat.
The Tacktick compass(es) will help you keep track of the wind shifts, so you would know when the wind has shifted enought to make it worthwhile ( in a speed sense ) to tack or gybe.
You have to know beforehand what the optimal true wind angle is for your boat.
As you probably know, dead-down-wind (DDW) is not the fastest point of sail; you're fastest speed downwind and optimal VMG may be 15 degrees off of DDW (as an example). By knowing where you are relative to the fastest point of sail downwind, you'll know when you should gybe.
Ideally, you're sailing downwind 15 degrees off of the wind. If the wind or desired direction puts you closer to DDW, then gybe over and sail 15 degrees off the wind on the other tack. Staying as close to the 15 degrees, and knowing when to gybe over to the other tack, keeps you near, hopefully, optimum VMG. Any wind compass can tell you approximately; for a grand+, Tacktick may claim to do it better than others.
Ideally, you're sailing downwind 15 degrees off of the wind. If the wind or desired direction puts you closer to DDW, then gybe over and sail 15 degrees off the wind on the other tack. Staying as close to the 15 degrees, and knowing when to gybe over to the other tack, keeps you near, hopefully, optimum VMG. Any wind compass can tell you approximately; for a grand+, Tacktick may claim to do it better than others.
Basically, most boats will do better sailing on a reach rather than DDW. The tacktick compass will give you the angles to sail when "tacking" downwind. For example, say the wind is a southerly breeze at 10 knots at 180˚M... you're sailing a course of 35˚M. At some point you're going to want to gybe—you'd want to bring the boat to a new heading of 225˚M—the Tacktick compass can help you determine when you should do this to make the best VMG. If you gybe too soon, you'll be spending too much time gybing, but if you gybe too late, you'll end up losing some VMG as you have to compensate for being on one "tack" too long.
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