Mike;
I find it useful to see true wind angle. And while I am at it, to see
apparent wind angle at the same time in the same place. Without having to
crane my neck backwards to see the windex at the top of the mast. Which is
hard to interpret anyhow since the mast is rotated. Sail telltales, which
are of course the gold standard of proper trim are often insensitive to
small but significant changes. I find that the wind direction on the
instrument shows me a lift, for example, before there is any indication on
sail telltales. And there have been times when trying to make my way to
windward when the apparent wind feels (and is) fairly close to the bow, but
a glance at the instrument shows that the true wind is at nearly 90 degrees.
Similarly, when on a broad reach, if the wind drops back astern, the
instrument is the first to tell me that I need to go up to maintain
boatspeed.
Now obviously I cannot make a claim that all of this is necessary. Or
even that it is necessary to sail well, since I know of a very accomplished
southern California multihull sailor who wins just about everything without
the use of any instruments at all. I have a lot of respect for this sailor
and his instinctive sense of the wind that has come from so many hours - or
thousands of hours - on the water. And I understand that with these skills
you cannot imagine the need for all of these expensive instruments.
But I don't have those finely honed instincts. I sailed my 27 for all
those years without any wind instruments. And I sailed the MDR to Catalina
weekend in September without my wind instrument (not even a Windex), and it
was OK. But there were a number of times when I felt like I could have
trimmed or adjusted course a little better if I had that little bit more
information.
Who knows, maybe my entire interest in the wind instrument is just
because during my day job I have become used to watching instruments display
the status of vital parameters.
Peter Lucas
F/C 31 UC #225 "Flexible Flyer"
San Diego, California
----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Leneman" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Friday, December 03, 2004 7:45 AM
Subject: wind instruments
>
> O.K., I'm trying to understand what information people are getting out of
> their wind instruments that is so important. Apparent wind angle? Why
> doesn't a telltail work?
> Do you really set your sails different if the apparent wind angle is 23 or
> 25 deg.?
> I'm serious.......I'm trying to figure out what you do with the
> information
> that these instruments put out. I've sailed on people's boats with wind
> instruments and never found a need to look at them.
> If it's for night sailing, then I understand......but in the daytime?
> Cheers,
> Mike Leneman
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