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System Sailing - The Mac Race Edition
July 9, 2020 · 8 min · 399 views
What this video covers
Wally Cross, a veteran of over 50 Port Huron to Mackinac races, outlines tactical decision-making and boat-handling strategies for the Lake Huron distance race.▶ 0:58 Because Lake Huron is deep and cold compared to the surrounding land, thermal effects often create easterly land breezes that favor staying near the shore.▶ 0:35 Sailors should monitor cloud formation over land as a visual indicator of these thermal shifts.▶ 3:17 Cross recommends aggregating data from multiple weather sources, including PredictWind, Windy, and SailFlow, to identify patterns rather than relying on a single forecast.▶ 3:45 During the race, he suggests using Yellowbrick to track competitor positioning and fleet trends.▶ 4:45 To maintain speed toward the finish, Cross advises calculating Velocity Made to Course (VMC) by plotting five-mile diameter circles along the rhumb line every 50 miles.▶ 6:42 Aiming to intersect these circles at four to five percent above target speed helps keep the boat on a competitive track without overcommitting to extreme tactical edges.▶ 7:10
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