[Rhodes22-list] Faster than the Wind?

[Mary Lou Troy]

Was the tide with you or against you? I'm assuming speed was over the 
ground (gps) vs through the water (knotmeter). If it was through the 
water, current doesn't matter. In any event sounds like a great day 
to be on the water. Congrats!

Mary Lou

At 04:43 PM 4/18/2008, you wrote:

>Just looking for a reality check.
>
>Tiller locked straight.  Full 175 genoa pulled tight.  Board up.  Close
>reach.  3.6 knots with an apparent wind of 4.3.  If it's not too windy, on a
>close reach I'm satisfied if I can do a little better than half the apparent
>wind speed.  If I plug in 45 degrees for the close reach, true wind
>calculates to 3.09.  Is that possible?  I know catamarans and huge monohull
>racers can sail faster than the wind, but what about our boats?  I thought
>maybe I made a mistake on the degrees into the wind, so I used 50 degrees
>and still came up with 3.4 knots of true wind.
>
>Great day to be out in a boat that can sail in light winds.  Almost two
>hours without touching the tiller in steady winds with no chop.  Almost made
>it to Rock Hall before the wind died.  Had enough time to leisurely power
>back and discovered that at a slow, quiet pace I could lock the tiller and
>keep on course by just shifting my weight every now and then.  Most I've
>ever enjoyed powering.
>
>Lee
>1986 Rhodes22  At Ease
>Kent Island, MD
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