No-go Zone
Sailboats cannot sail directly into the wind, nor on a course that is too close to the direction from which the wind is blowing. The range of directions into which a boat cannot sail is called the no-go zone. Its width depends on the design of the boat, its rig, and its sails, as well as on the wind strength and the sea state. Depending on the boat and the conditions, the no-go zone may be from 30 to 50 degrees either side of the wind, a 60 to 100 degree area centered on the wind direction.
When attempting to sail into the no-go zone, the boat's sails do not produce enough drive to maintain way or forward momentum through the water. Therefore the boat will eventually coast to a stop, with the rudder becoming less and less effective at controlling the direction of travel.
A sailboat's ability to sail close to the wind is referred to as its "pointing" ability. A yacht designed primarily for racing can typically point from 30 or at most 40 degrees from the wind direction, whereas one designed for cruising may only be able to point 40 to 50 degrees from the wind direction. Working boats may not be able to point this well and square rigged vessels certainly cannot. The size of the no-go zone varies, but all sailboats have one.
A boat turns through the no-go zone as it performs a tack. Since the boat is passing through the no-go zone, it must maintain momentum until it has turned all the way through this area. If a boat loses way and steerage before it exits the no-go zone, it is said to be "in irons," and may stop, return to the original tack, or begin to travel slowly backwards.
Read more about this topic: Points Of Sail
Famous quotes containing the word zone:
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