Quote:
Originally Posted by ITD
"...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..."
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1) Definitely pass astern of sailboats when allowed any choice
in your particular circumstance: Even if it "appears" it is the longer path, it could actually be shorter—
as sailboats "don't 
just stand still"! 
...Very often... 
2) Since 1972, among other sailboat types, I've sailed four personally-owned catamarans on Lake Winnipesaukee: within that timeframe the number of registered boats on Winnipesaukee has doubled—
and they're mostly
much-bigger! 
Catamarans are "impacted" more severely by the wakes of powerboats, because waves are reflected back-and-forth between the two hulls which, particularly in
light winds,
brings forward progress to a near-halt.
(Sometimes propelling one's catamaran
backwards! ).
I've sold each of my catamarans—including
two I owned at the same time:
neither has returned to Lake Winnipesaukee.
3) The number of Winnipesaukee catamarans doesn't appear to have kept pace with "other" sailboat ownerships—and in my experience—it's powerboat wakes that diminish the sailing speeds that catamarans enjoy
so much.
4) There's
no sailboat that can "speed-up" like the Olympic-class "machine" they call the
Tornado! At 20-feet—with 30-feet of mast—and weighing less than 500 pounds...it'll "squirt-unexpectedly" in the slightest of breezes.
Upon its introduction, it was advertised towing a water skier!
With my crew—and while casually discussing the winds on
The Broads with another sailing boat—I very nearly demonstrated being "launched" over my Tornado's transom when caught by an unseen gust of wind!
5) So finally, we come to the issue of "sailboats under-power
acting as if they were 'just sailing'":
If you've ever tried to "drop" your sails in rough-waters, you'd understand why sailboats (those that are
equipped with auxiliary power) must use power to get to a spot where the sails
can be "dropped"
with getting launched overboard.
Understanding things such as the above examples may be why—in earning the
United Kingdom's "Boating Certificate"—one must demonstrate one's proficiencies
at sailing an actual sailboat!
