If you look at the diagram geometrically, it seems that line B is 'fairest', that is, the mark seems equidistant no matter which end of this line you start from. Line A seems obviously biased, but not by much, at its starboard end, while line C seems biased a little towards its port end.

Well, only line D is fair. As in our first puzzle, because D is square to the wind, any position on the line is the same sailing or city block distance from the mark. All the other lines are favoured, some heavily, at their starboard end.

The starboard end of line B, for example, is about 16 blocks away from the mark, while its port end is about 22 blocks away. If we take the size of a 'block' to be one boat length, starting at the starboard end of line B is worth 6 boat-lengths by the time you get to the mark. Wow! It sure doesn't look like it.

What is important is the angle that the line makes to the wind, and not whether it is offset towards one side or other of the course. This is a particularly important lesson.

To confirm our ideas, let us look at another problem. Here we have four starting lines, each one biased a further 5 degrees away from the wind than the line before. In other words, while line D is square to the wind, line C is at 85 degrees to the wind, B is at 80 degrees, and A is at 75 degrees. In addition, the lines are not offset the way they were earlier. That is, the lines are not placed to one side of the course or the other; they are exactly in the middle of the course.

We know that line D is the 'fairest' line, and that lines A, B, and C are biased at their starboard end. This time, though, you need to guess how many 'blocks' or boat lengths the starboard bias is worth. That is, if you started at the starboard end while your buddy started at the port end, how far ahead would you be (all other things being equal) at the mark? In other words, what kind of a difference does, say, a 10 degree bias make? See what you think on the next page.

2005-12-18

©2024 Lester Gilbert