A note on this race's data

The boat's through-water speed sensor recorded 0.0 kn all race, and the wind numbers on this page are apparent wind, not true wind (true wind can't be calculated without boat speed). Everything below is therefore reconstructed: boat speed comes from the Vakaros unit's GPS speed over ground, and true wind is recalculated from the recorded apparent wind and that GPS speed. Speed over ground can include a small current effect that through-water speed wouldn't, and any error in it carries into the true wind and angle figures, so treat the numbers as good estimates rather than exact readings. The comparable race below used a working paddle wheel, so the comparison isn't perfectly like-for-like. Tacks vs. gybes are inferred from the reconstructed wind angle at each Vakaros-detected turn.

Wind & Comparable Races

Reconstructed true wind ranged 0.5–14.4 kn (avg 7.0 kn), and it faded as the race went on: about 7.9 kn on average over the first hour against 5.7 kn over the second, with GPS speed averaging 4.6 kn then 3.4 kn, and only 2.3 kn over the final 15 minutes — consistent with the race note that you sailed until the wind wouldn't let you and retired. The closest comparable by average wind is race 12 (2026-08-05, Wednesday Night, avg 7.3 kn), though that race had 3 crew against tonight's 2.

Against the J/80 polar, the boat reached 74.8% of target upwind, 62.2% on the reach, and 78.1% downwind — ahead of race 12 on every point of sail (68.8%, 40.6%, 68.4%). Upwind was the wider gap to close on angle: TWA averaged 50.4° against a 41.8° target, 8.6° wide (footing low), compared with race 12's 5.0° wide. Downwind TWA averaged 142.3° against a 147.6° target, 5.2° tight, versus race 12's roughly on-target downwind angle. Heel stayed modest (10.9° upwind, 5.4° downwind).

Twelve tacks and nine gybes were logged, plus three mark roundings. One "tack" was actually an 87-second turn at about 18:22 local that lost only 10% of speed — a slow, drawn-out episode rather than a normal tack — so it's set aside here; the other eleven tacks averaged 9.4s and 34.0% speed loss, against race 12's 3 tacks at 8.7s and 43.9%. The nine gybes averaged 7.3s and 26.9% loss (race 12: 2 gybes at 9.0s and 24.8%). Three more turns landed in the reach zone where tack vs. gybe can't be told apart.

Coaching Recommendations

1. Upwind the boat sailed about 8.6° wider than the target angle but still reached 74.8% of target speed — a strong number for the conditions, but that much footing costs height; in a fading breeze, a slightly higher groove may hold VMG better as the pressure drops.
2. The wind faded steadily through the race and speed fell with it (4.6 kn to 3.4 kn to 2.3 kn at the end). Getting to the pressure early, and being clear on when to call it, matters more than fine-tuning trim on a night like this — retiring once the boat was making 2 kn was a reasonable call.
3. Twelve tacks and nine gybes is a busy race for two people; the tacks held up well (34% average loss, better than race 12), and the gybes were clean at 27%. The 87-second turn is worth a look on the video or track to see what happened there, since it's the one maneuver that doesn't fit the pattern.