Sail Smart: Understand Your Instruments to Sail Faster, Make the Right Calls & Win Races

Sail Smart: Understand Your Instruments to Sail Faster, Make the Right Calls & Win Races

by Mark Chisnell
Sail Smart: Understand Your Instruments to Sail Faster, Make the Right Calls & Win Races

Sail Smart: Understand Your Instruments to Sail Faster, Make the Right Calls & Win Races

by Mark Chisnell

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Overview

Learn how to sail faster, make the right calls and win races. On-board instruments present modern sailors with a wealth of information. This book explains what the numbers really mean, and turns this information into racing results. By mastering your instruments you can make the right calls everytime and know for certain when to tack, which shift to look out for and how the tide can work with or against you. With colour diagrams throughout, this instructional guide turns information into excellence. Accessible to those new to racing, it also has a depth of information that will transform the performance of even professional sailors. Cruising sailors will also benefit from understanding how to get the most from their instruments.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781119942375
Publisher: Fernhurst Books
Publication date: 12/16/2012
Pages: 102
Product dimensions: 6.75(w) x 8.25(h) x 0.30(d)

About the Author

Mark Chisnell divides his time between professional sailing and writing, and has won awards as a broadcaster and for his non-fiction accounts of maritime adventure. Mark began his writing career with sailing - the sport in which he won three World Championships, and subsequently won plaudits and recognition for his adrenaline-fuelled and suspenseful accounts of round-the-world racing.

Table of Contents

Introduction vii

Chapter 1 Position Fixing Systems 1

Some Thoughts 1

The Global Positioning System 2

Using the GPS 6

Chapter 2 Instrument Systems 15

Stand-Alone Equipment versus Integrated Systems 15

The Wind Triangle and some Nomenclature 16

Chapter 3 Setting Up an Instrument System 23

Some Comments on the Calibration Process 23

Calibration of the Compass 25

Calibration of the Boat Speed 26

Calibration of the Apparent Wind Speed and Angle 27

Calibration of the Depth 34

Calibration of the Heel Angle Gauge 35

Calibration of Leeway 35

Calibration of the True or Sailing Wind 37

Don't Panic!! 45

Damping - High or Low? 46

Chapter 4 Some Instrument Techniques 49

Start Lines and Wind Shifts 49

Heel Angle or Wind Speed? 54

Anticipation 55

Chapter 5 Polar Tables and Where They Come From 57

What are Polar Tables? 57

Polar Table Accuracy 59

Velocity Prediction Programmes 60

Velocity Made Good and Target Boat Speeds 61

Data Collection and Performance Analysis 64

Chapter 6 Instrument Techniques using the Polar Table 71

Next Leg Calculations 71

Velocity Made Good to the Course: VMC 73

Weather and Current Routing 80

Appendix A A Quick Guide to Calibration 83

Appendix B General Maintenance 89

Appendix C Calibration Records 91

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