Sail configuration for turning thru the wind

[Farrago]

I'm pretty sure that with all ship types, you can most quickly turn thru the wind using manual sails and going max speed. (Please correct me if I'm wrong.) But not having experience with that many different ships with different sail configurations, I don't know what happens at low speeds.

Using manual sails, is the quickest turn at slow speed still with full sails on all ships or are Battle, Half, etc more efficient with some ships?

[Hethwill, the Red Duke]

Faster or tighter ? Therein lies the decision made by captains when deciding for less or more canvas or depowering or not during the tack.

With full you will be out of the eye of the wind already picking up and extending. With less canvas you don't let them ladies on a free rein but can provoke a faster turn angle.

Some ships have the big stay sails and spanker which behave better going through the incoming wind, jib and fore stay help keeping speed very close to the wind ) and spanker helps the return.

You can compare the Snow and the Brig in regard of the squared rigs speed vs radius of the tack onto the incoming wind. Also Trincomalee and Essex should be a good test as well.

Someone please clarify anything I've written that is wrong.

[XJ.]

As a rookie I prefer full speed so if a make an error I don't get stuck pointed into the wind haha!

[Powderhorn]

If you want to have fun zipping through the wind, try a Niagara out   It's pretty forgiving on tacking through the wind, and is just plain fun to sail.

[_Masterviolin]

I've usually had full speed to ensure that I don't get stuck in the wind, and that I can pull out of my turn at good speed. But in a catch, I'll throw battle sails if I'm trying to do a close gap or loop (for example, stern-camping a ship of the line in my Essex). It's useful to have lightweight ropes/blocks to constantly adjust your yards.

[Captain Hammered]

The gif above is ideal for learning tight tacks; but tight turns are not always the most desirable. Tight turning loses speed and in both a stern chase and a closing fight speed is valuable. My personal recommendation - with no authority behind it; just 20 or so Pirate kills - is to use manual sails ONLY in tight tacks and when acceleration is not immediately valuable. IOW if you turn on a Connie and she's not smack at your close-hauled position...wait, settle into the new heading, let yourself build up speed; turn towards him WITH AUTO SAILS ON; get maximum speed - THEN hit the bastard and depart at max speed as his return fire bounces off your bulwarks.

Manual sails are a fantastic advantage; made more so by knowing when not to use them. Remember that a turning fight and an energy fight are two very different things.

[Hethwill, the Red Duke]

Hence different models behave differently. Many runners if kept unchecked will go out of position really fast and drift too far - Trincomalee being the fatal example - so keeping he under a good manual leash is essential. Constitution as well as she likes to pick up speed as soon as possible although being heavier she can hold a firing angle better coming out of a dead on wind.

[Captain Hammered]

On ‎2017‎-‎02‎-‎22 at 3:42 AM, Hethwill said:

Hence different models behave differently. Many runners if kept unchecked will go out of position really fast and drift too far - Trincomalee being the fatal example - so keeping he under a good manual leash is essential. Constitution as well as she likes to pick up speed as soon as possible although being heavier she can hold a firing angle better coming out of a dead on wind.

Precisely - fights are all about position; and position is all about energy. I've lost many fights to a smaller, nimbler opponent because that opponent was simply better than I was at saving/spending energy in the most efficient way. A particular French player has beaten my Frigate twice in his little Surprise off Carlisle because he was better at positioning. On the positive side, a Pirate player who's killed me three times in the past went down with his Connie crushed to kindling two nights ago (VERY satisfying!) because I was able to use the wind. I love this game; different models have different abilities, each one has strengths an individual player may use to find his/her personal 'favourite' ship. Even the cumbersome Trinc could be a devastating platform in the right hands; you never know.

In the end, ships have their advantages, but player ability wins out every time. Marvellous!

 

[maturin]

On 2/21/2017 at 11:15 PM, Captain Hammered said:

The gif above is ideal for learning tight tacks; but tight turns are not always the most desirable. Tight turning loses speed and in both a stern chase and a closing fight speed is valuable. My personal recommendation - with no authority behind it; just 20 or so Pirate kills - is to use manual sails ONLY in tight tacks and when acceleration is not immediately valuable. IOW if you turn on a Connie and she's not smack at your close-hauled position...wait, settle into the new heading, let yourself build up speed; turn towards him WITH AUTO SAILS ON; get maximum speed - THEN hit the bastard and depart at max speed as his return fire bounces off your bulwarks.

Manual sails are a fantastic advantage; made more so by knowing when not to use them. Remember that a turning fight and an energy fight are two very different things.

To be clear, you never tack with auto sails on.

If you want to preserve speed, you should tack historically. Don't use your manual sails until the nose of your ship is pointed dead upwind.

[Pad Seayew]

This is fantastic information, and should be put concisely into the Guides section.  That .gif is going to be a common reference point for new players.

Can you do one for fore-and-afters as they are so different?