Overlap on Opposite Tacks

Boats on opposite tacks may also be overlapped. Here are a few such circumstances. In the first, I've shown two boats on opposite tacks sailing a broad reach. The terms apply because both boats are sailing more than 90 degrees from the true wind (even if their apparent wind is directly abeam). I've drawn centerlines and perpendicular lines on both boats. Because neither boat is clear astern of the other, the two are overlapped.


Here is an example of boats sailing directly downwind on opposite tacks. As previously, I've drawn monohulls to show the spinnakers. Also, the fact that the port-tack boats are slightly angled is an artifact of the drawing program. Please ignore that imperfection. Once more, the Blue boat is clear ahead and Yellow clear astern. The green boats are overlapped.



Once more, here are two boats approaching a leeward mark. One is sailing (nearly) dead downwind on port tack, the other is on a starboard tack broad reach. Neither is clear astern of the other, so they are overlapped. This important relationship is often overlooked and misunderstood by boats sailing the rhumb-line.


to be continued...