If a sailing craft tacks too slowly through the eye of the wind, or otherwise loses forward motion in the no-go zone, it will coast to a stop, with its sails unable to generate power and its rudder ineffective. A craft with sufficient momentum to reach the opposite tack, the vessel passing through the eye of the wind is in stays-unable to provide sail power until it exits the no-go zone. The span of the no-go zone depends on the efficiency of a sailing craft's sails and its resistance to sideways motion in the water (using a keel or foils) on ice or on land, typically at an angle between 30 and 50 degrees from the wind. The range of directions into which a sailing craft cannot sail is called the no-go zone.

A craft remaining in the no-go zone will slow to a stop and be in irons. Iceboats parked in irons with sails loose and not generating power.Ī sailing craft cannot sail directly into the wind, nor on a course that is too close to the direction from which the wind is blowing, because the sails cannot generate lift in this 'no-go zone'. Running downwind where a craft has the wind coming from behind, perpendicular to the sail, and generating power through drag.Broad reach: the course on which the sail's ability to generate lift is transitioning to primarily propelling the craft with drag with the wind behind the sail.Beam reach: the craft has the true wind at a right angle (on its beam).Close reach: between close-hauled and a beam reach.Reaching, where sails generate lift to power the craft, including a:.Close-hauled where a craft is sailing as close to the wind as its sails can generate lift (like a wing) to power the craft.Into the wind where a sailing craft is pointed directly upwind in the middle of the no-go zone, where sails cannot generate power.The recognized points of sail are in reference to the true wind direction, as indicated by a fixed wind indicator (flag, windsock, etc.), and encompass: A craft remaining in its no-go zone will slow to a stop-it will be 'in irons'. The angle encompassed by the no-go zone depends on the airfoil efficiency of the craft's sails and the craft's lateral resistance on the surface (from hydrofoils, outriggers, or a keel in the water, runners on ice, or wheels on land).

There is a zone of approximately 45° on either side of the true wind, where a sail cannot generate lift, called the 'no-go zone'. At the same time, the resistance to sidewards motion needed to keep the craft on course also decreases, along with the sideways tipping force. As a sailing craft transitions from close-hauled to running downwind, the lifting force decreases and the drag force increases. A sail with the apparent wind perpendicular to its surface, acts substantially like a parachute with the drag on the sail as the dominant force. Ī sail with the airflow parallel to its surface, while angled into the apparent wind, acts substantially like a wing with lift as a force acting perpendicular to its surface. The apparent wind is the combined effect of the velocities of the true wind and of the sailing craft. The motive power, and thus appropriate position of the sails, is determined by the apparent wind: the wind relative to an observer on the sailing craft. Ī given point of sail (beating, close reach, beam reach, broad reach, and running downwind) is defined in reference to the true wind-the wind felt by a stationary observer. At 180° off the wind (sailing in the same direction as the wind), a craft is running downwind. At 135° off the wind, a craft is on a broad reach.

The point of sail between beating and a beam reach is called a close reach. At 90° off the wind, a craft is on a beam reach.

Sailing on a course as close to the wind as possible-approximately 45°-is termed beating, a point of sail when the sails are close-hauled. For many sailing craft 45° on either side of the wind is a no-go zone, where a sail is unable to mobilize power from the wind. The principal points of sail roughly correspond to 45° segments of a circle, starting with 0° directly into the wind. A. Into the wind shaded: 'no-go zone' where a craft may be 'in irons'.ī. Close-hauled (used when beating to windward)Ī point of sail is a sailing craft's direction of travel under sail in relation to the true wind direction over the surface.

Sail into the waves meaning