Re: Genoa and other stuff

Gordon (hlg@pacbell.net)
Mon, 17 May 1999 21:30:43 -0700


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West Wight Potter Website at URL
http://www.lesbois.com/wwpotter/
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Derek wrote:

>I've also noticed that the sail sometimes makes it hard to tack in certain
>weird
>conditions, but I also attribute that to the fact that the prevailing
>condition on the >Columbia often finds one traveling with the current and
>thus reducing the water flow over >the rudder.

I believe the speed you make through the water (and thus your rudder
effectiveness) is essentially independent of the current. The current only
affects your speed and direction over the bottom.

An exception might be a momentary change in current, where the boat's
inertia may cause a momentary delay in the boat's response to the change in
velocity or direction.

It's comparable to an airplane in flight, where the airspeed is essentially
unaffected by wind velocity or direction. Again, the exception is an abrupt
change in velocity or direction of the wind, as in a "wind shear" situation.

Harry Gordon
P14 #234, Manatee
Mountain View, CA