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Why Instruments?
The economics of true wind
Cost
To get true wind information, at a minimum you will need sensors for boatspeed, apparent wind and heading, a processor and a display. Each year you will also have to allocate resources for calibration and maintenance. There is also the need for crew organization and training in order to get the maximum benefit from the information.Over and above normal maintenance, keeping a boat in racing trim includes extra sail maintenance and replacement, transportation, crew cost, food and lodging, keeping the hull clean and many, many other things.
Benefit
Nobody can put a price on finishing in the money over just being there. However, assuming you want to get the most return on your sailing investment, reliable true wind is a good place to place your bet.
Reliable
wind direction is worth more than a new set of sails
| Get to the winning side of the fleet | By observing wind shear, sail trim is improved. And because it tends to predict what the wind will be doing in 5 or 10 minutes, you get to the new wind first. |
| Save 40 seconds | Predicting the wind on the next leg lets you pick the correct sail, eliminating a possible sail change. |
| Gain 36 seconds/mile in rating | Detecting and acting on a 5º wind shift that nobody else sees is worth an extra 6% in boatspeed. |