Facebook

Login

Support Sailonline

If you haven't already - join the SAILONLINE YACHT CLUB!

Please also consider making a donation - all amounts are greatly appreciated!

Board » General Discussion » Why is the bent line Better - sometimes.

Posted by
Roddo


Users avatar

Posts
13
Registered at
2014-06-28 00:51:17
2016-06-13 03:08:36 - Why is the bent line Better - sometimes.
I have been genuinely inspired by the Soler's amazing ability to read the weather and I'm on a mission to get a better understanding.
I've noticed that there is a time for a straight line and a time for a bent line but I do not understand why.
I've seen sailors take a straight line and be overtaken by someone sailing around the outside and other times the opposite.
I would appreciate any pointers anyone would like to share. Thanks in advance.
Cheers
Rod
Posted by
Gilles


Users avatar

Posts
127
Registered at
2009-07-18 11:05:22
2016-06-13 07:15:20 - Re: Why is the bent line Better - sometimes.
Hi Rod,
I guess that is happening during wind rotation,following the rotation whit a bend, or big wind gradient where you sacrify the angle for a better wind.
As this is really depending from the particular situation, ask in chat during the race.
A lot of people will help you for the analysis.

A great spot to exercise are also the PR, Practice Race. there you can experiment with other people and get the "tricks"
Short race before the official race go on.
have a look for Rainbow Chaser in the chat.

Good wind
Gilles
Posted by
kroppyer


Users avatar

Posts
347
Registered at
2010-02-05 15:25:55
2016-06-13 07:19:41 - Re: Why is the bent line Better - sometimes.
On a small scale (where your course is straight and others' bent) I distinguish between two changes in wind: changes over time (windshift/wind picking up/wind decreasing) and changes over space (wind gradient).
- For changes over time, I use VMC to steer my boat. If the wind does not change over space but only over time, then this is the fastest way. You just need to find out the bearing to use for VMC, but without changes over space, this bearing will remain constant (until the next waypoint). Have a look at outlaw's post on solfans
- For changes over space, it's harder to come up with a strategy that is always optimal and easy to apply (not counting using routing software). Imagine your waypoint is straight ahead, to the left of you the wind is better and to the right of you the wind is worse. Now starting off heading slightly to the left and bending slowly to the right is faster than sailing straight to your waypoint, because the bendy line is barely any longer, but does bring you into better winds. But when you make you sail a line that is too curved, you sail a lot of extra distance that you can't make up with the better wind you have.

Then there is also the "rule" of making course changes larger than a couple of degrees:
only make a course change larger than 3 degrees (or 2, or 5 if you don't need to squeeze out some seconds) if:
- you're rounding a mark
- you're rounding a landmass
- you're tacking/gybing, or hopping some other dent in the polar
- the new wx update forces you to pick a different route
- you admit you made a mistake in your last course and need to change course as soon a possible (there no advantage in slowly correcting a mistake)

--- Last Edited by kroppyer at 2016-06-13 07:22:04 ---

--- Last Edited by kroppyer at 2016-06-14 10:40:08 ---
Posted by
Rod


Users avatar

Posts
392
Registered at
2010-06-24 22:30:48
2016-06-14 01:37:06 - Re: Why is the bent line Better - sometimes.
I always compare the hourly positions along both the COG and TWA lines. Many times you are ahead at 3hrs and behind at 6hrs.
In addition, often by following the TWA line, you end up downwind of your destination and it is slow to beat back up wind.
It is not dissimilar to using VMG or VMC---sometimes you end up downwind, or there is an island in the way.
I hadn't got as far as the analysis by Kroppyer, above here, but I take anything said by Kroppyer as the word of G--! (Sorry about that,RC!!! I try not to bring politics or religion into SOL)
One thing I have observed---it really pays off to keep 'mending' your course by tiny amounts every 5-10 minutes, even if you go only a tiny bit faster and further--over several hours you'll be surprised by how much many tiny bits add up!

--- Last Edited by Rod at 2016-06-14 01:42:04 ---
If it breaks, it's not strong enough--if it doesn't, it's too heavy.

Please login to post a reply.

Races

Next Race: 00d 00h 00m

Current Races:

Iceland to the Falklands 2026

Welcome to an all-new route, the first of three Round the 'Old World' of Europe, Africa, Australia and Asia. To give each leg of the ROW a bit of length we'll try to hug the coasts as little as possible, so starting in Iceland our first leg of the series, which will also be the final leg of our Quarter 1 Ocean Championships takes us 7200nm to the Falklands, the full length of the Atlantic end to end. To make sure we'll get it done within the month we'll be sailing our Maxi Trimaran.
Race #2010
INFO by brainaid.de
Maxi Trimaran PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: OCQ1 - ROW - OCCH - SYC
Race starts: Mar 02nd 11:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

SSANZ Round North Island Race 2026 - Leg 1

Welcome to Leg One of the Round North Island Series in partnership with SSANZ. The four-leg circuit of New Zealand’s North Island is a true test of short-handed skill, and it begins with the 150nm passage from Auckland to Mangonui. This year, our SOLers will be racing the dynamic Sun Fast 3600 – Jeanneau’s renowned racer-cruiser and a proven flyer downwind. A gentle opener on paper… but coastal tactics and shifting breezes will demand focus from the start!
Race #2011
INFO by brainaid.de
Sun Fast 3600 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: RNI - SUPBUD - SYC
Race starts: Feb 28th 21:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

San Diego to Puerto Vallarta 2026

Welcome to California! Established in 1953 this 1000-mile run from San Diego to Puerto Vallarta on the Mexican Riviera has become a tradition and online as well the tradition strengthens with this the fourth time Sailonline is making the race available to virtual sailors. Let's see how our virtual SC70s perform against the real fleet!
Race #2015
INFO by brainaid.de
Santa Cruz 70 Particulars
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: SUPBUD - SYC
Race starts: Feb 28th 20:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

New Ice Age 2026 - Browerville to Longyearbyen


Our 2026 long-distance ice-boating challenge continues with a second race in Arctic waters, now from Browerville, where we arrived less than a month ago, continuing east, back to Svalbard’s Longyearbyen, leaving Canada’s Ellesmere Island to port and Denmark’s Greenland to starboard. It’s about 2500nm, which, if there’s wind at all, should, well-wrapped in your DN-cockpits, not take you more than a day or three, thus to complete your first (of several) online circumnavigation of the planet of 2026!
Race #1969
INFOby brainaid.de
DN PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: NIA - SYC
Race starts: Feb 19th 07:00 Registration Closed
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Doha Basra TIMED Race 2026

Welcome to Kuwait for a short 78 nm TIMED race from the port of Doha (not to be confused with Doha, Qatar) to Basra, Iraq. Jazirat Light on Auha Island is the only mark to observe, leaving it to port. The Beneteau First 40.7v2 racer-cruiser is our ride this month. This is a TIMEDrace so you may RE-REGISTER HEREto try again after finishing a run. You will have 13 days and 11 hours to test your skill and decision making after the race opens.
Race #2008
INFOby brainaid.de
First 40.7v2 Particulars
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking:
TRQ1 - TRCH - SYC
RACE CLOSE: Saturday,
28 February at 23:00 UTC
Race starts: Feb 15th 12:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Beketov by Balloon 2026 - In Siberia


Way-back-when France and England, and Spain as well, were squabbling about who should control what of North America, only to lose the most of it to their own insurging colonists, their eastern European neighbour empire, Russia, was quietly assimilating vast, thinly nomadically populated territory of its own – Siberia! Amongst the many explorers and adventurers that served Russia so well in these conquests was the Cossack hetman Pyotr Beketov. Let’s pretend we’re he and eschewing horseback, let’s travel by balloon from Yekaterinberg to Krasnoyarsk – just a short 2000km (1100nm) section of the Trans-Siberian Express’ 9289km!
Race #1972
INFOby brainaid.de
SOL Balloon PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: BOL - SYC
RACE CLOSE: Wednesday,
March 4 at 2300 UTC.
Race starts: Feb 03rd 13:00 Registration Closed
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Go to race archive

SYC Ranking

  1. Sailonline Yacht Club Member KaSToR
  2. Sailonline Yacht Club Member WRmirekd
  3. Sailonline Yacht Club Member CriticalHippo
  4. Sailonline Yacht Club Member rumskib
  5. Sailonline Yacht Club Member vida
  6. Sailonline Yacht Club Member Sax747
  7. Sailonline Yacht Club Member rafa
  8. Sailonline Yacht Club Member CollegeFund
  9. Sailonline Yacht Club Member bonknhoot
  10. Sailonline Yacht Club Member BRENTGRAY

View full list

Series

Mobile Client

SYC members have the benefit of access to our mobile/lightweight web client!

The mobile client