Oscillating wind shifts

The gains you can make by tacking on oscillating wind shifts are very large. It usually determines the outcome of a sail race. If the wind shifts plus minus ten degrees around its mean direction you can gain 2000 meters (1.25 miles) on three windward legs 4000 meters total (2.5 miles) long!

You would rarely make all the gains available. But the better information you have about the shifts of the wind the greater your gains.

When you sail with the Ansar 2 or 4 compass you always know if you are sailing in a lift or a header.

If you use an ordinary compass or e.g. TackTick Micro you have to note the readings of the compass and then compare these with the curreng reading of the compass to determine if you are sailing on the right or wrong tack. Yes, I almost forgot, before you can do this you must calculate the mean wind direction - for each tack.

When sailing with an Ansar 2 or 4 compass you also know everytime the relative size of the lift or header. This is useful e.g. when you of some reason want to get out to one side of the course. Then you can do it with little loss if you do it when the lift is around zero.

The average wind direction is shifting

It is common that the mean direction of the wind is shifting slowly during a race. You must not miss this because there are many meters or yards to gain.

When you sail with the Ansar 2 or 4 compass you will not miss a shift in mean direction of the wind:

Let's say you have sailed the first windward leg and the pointer has at the best lifts been up to the "best lift marker".

You are now on the second windward leg and on starboard tack. When you look at the compass you notice that the pointer has gone considerably beyond the "best lift position". This means that the lift on this tack now is larger than it was before.

This may mean that the mean direction of the wind is shifting clockwise and you can gain many valuable meters or yards by heading out on the favorable side of the course, that side that will be to windward when the wind has shifted further.

If you sail with an electronic compass or an ordinary compass you must keep track of its readings and not miss when you are lifted more than before on either tack. For most sailors this means taking notes.