Tacking a sailing ship in the current

Abstract

It is impossible for a vessel to move under sail directly against the wind. In the case where the destination is directly against the wind, the sailing vessel moves on tacks, the direction of which depends on the type of sailing rig and is on average 45 degrees from the general course for ships with triangular sails. Sometimes tack movement becomes useful for moving along the general course and with a fair wind. Laying out tacks (selecting tacks and points for changing them) is not a simple task and depends on many things, including changes (maybe expected) in the strength and direction of the wind, as well as the strength and direction of the current along the way to the goal. Usually, tack layout is a tactical task, which is, solved directly on the way (which is the point of yacht racing). However, even when planning a transition, a preliminary layout can provide useful information for choosing upcoming action scenarios. The article discusses the issues of planning passages of a sailing vessel tacking upwind and downwind, taking into account the current, as well as clarifying the terminology in relation to all winds involved in the creation of the apparent wind acting on the sails.