What are the benefits of anticipating wind shifts and using straight-legged hiking?

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Multiple Choice

What are the benefits of anticipating wind shifts and using straight-legged hiking?

Anticipating wind shifts lets you move your weight before the forces change, so the boat stays balanced as the wind moves. Keeping the boat flatter reduces sideways slip and drag, which helps you hold a better course toward windward and maintain speed. Straight-legged hiking puts your center of gravity farther toward the windward side, increasing the righting moment that keeps the boat upright under sail pressure. With more upright hulls and less heel, you use the sail force more efficiently and can sail higher and faster toward the wind. That’s why this approach beats waiting to respond after the wind shifts or thinking weight placement doesn’t affect windward performance.

Anticipating wind shifts lets you move your weight before the forces change, so the boat stays balanced as the wind moves. Keeping the boat flatter reduces sideways slip and drag, which helps you hold a better course toward windward and maintain speed. Straight-legged hiking puts your center of gravity farther toward the windward side, increasing the righting moment that keeps the boat upright under sail pressure. With more upright hulls and less heel, you use the sail force more efficiently and can sail higher and faster toward the wind.

That’s why this approach beats waiting to respond after the wind shifts or thinking weight placement doesn’t affect windward performance.

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