Quote:
Originally Posted by jrc
since we are on this subject, when I pass a sailboat in open water should I pass on the bow or stern, windward or leeward? In other words where is the best place to have the wake hit you. Obviously the more distance the better.
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Jrc, I would say in most cases try to pass to the stern. Even though a sail boat may look like it is not moving, if the sails are full it is, plus the winds in the lake can be variable in speed and direction. A gust will cause the sail boat to speed up which can screw up your plan pretty quickly. Usually sailboats try to maximize a good tack, in the case of my sailboat I will get pretty close to the shore. So if a sailboat is on a tack pointed toward the shore, you can be sure that it will be tacking soon, turning away from shore. If you pass closely in this case you are almost guaranteed to have to change course to avoid the sail boat. It is better to give the sailboat a wide berth to avoid being surprised.
Generally wakes don't bother sailboats that much because the sail, rudder and centerboard/keel make the boat very stable when underway.