Go fast or go home!

The angle of sailing relative to the wind has a major influence on boat speed; and even more of an influence in catamarans.

Faster sailing boats generate apparent wind, the faster the boat moves, the more apparent wind it will generate. Speed allows foils to work better, and consequently to go higher.  Doesn’t sound logical? Try it!  In catamarans and skiffs the slightest angle change may cause a significant change to boat speed.  Having gained speed, the rate of climb becomes disproportionately greater.

In a cat lifting the windward hull, the sailors are generating less drag on the water and also sinking the leeward hull deeper into the water, which serves as a better resistance to sideways forces of the sail.  Essentially, in any boat we are trying to provide lateral resistance so that a greater percentage of the forward vector of sail force is used.  The (generally) slab side of a cat hull will enhance the ability to utilize the forward force.

At Toplevel Sailing we take pride in teaching our sailors how to generate better speed for their boats during our sail coaching session.