Favorite point of sail?

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pembquist@reddit

Downwind depends on the air temp. When hot, no. When cold, yes.

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CanConMil@reddit

Whatever direction takes me away from people the fastest

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Downwind on the asym. Almost a broad reach, and probably should switch sails, but you’re absolutely ripping, even if it’s not exactly the perfect direction. Waves on your tail giving you an occasional shove. It’s chaos, it’s inefficient, and it’s perfect.

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aussydog@reddit

The top point. You know? Like the really pointy bit at the tippy top of the mast.

It just looks great. Def my favorite.

A+ question!

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flyfallridesail417@reddit

Like every long-distance cruiser ever I don’t ask for much, just 17-22 kts of wind at 130-150° TWA everywhere I go.

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Accomplished_Fee9363@reddit

Yes and no waves

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flyfallridesail417@reddit

Oh, I wouldn’t get that greedy. Let’s just say no swell of less than a 10 sec interval.

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LameBMX@reddit

are they even waves anymore with that interval?

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Firm_Objective_2661@reddit

Cries in Lake Ontario

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jonnohb@reddit

Haha right there with ya.

Wind light today tonight and Saturday. Sunday Wind light becoming North 20 knots early in the morning. 2 sec period.

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Firm_Objective_2661@reddit

At least north isn’t too horrible for us in Toronto. Easterly is the worst, and SW isn’t amazing either…

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Hardwood_Lump_BBQ@reddit

Irondequoit bay here 👋

After the channel 🌊

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Accomplished_Fee9363@reddit

I am in Switzerland 🇨🇭

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timreddo@reddit

This

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jfinkpottery@reddit

... right up until I find a spot to anchor, and then dead calm for the night would be great. Thanks.

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10yearsnoaccount@reddit

Best I can offer is 28 gusting 35 from directly where you need to head, and confused seas to match. Either that or no wind at all. Possibly during the same day.

Yeah we had a wild summer down here lol

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LegitMeatPuppet@reddit

Any with a happy crew.

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3-2-1_liftoff@reddit

Broad reach in a good blow with some swell to surf down if I’m in a Sailfish, a Laser, or a Melges 24.

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Half-Borg@reddit

As close to the wind as she'll go. I'm here for the thrill.

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bleiflyon@reddit

👆this!

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NotACmptr@reddit

Same here. I have no experience with a spinnaker, or possess one, so as soon as the wind comes from behind, I hand the helm to someone else and think of something else that needs doing.

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uthyrbendragon@reddit

Get a nice cup of tea and relax!

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uthyrbendragon@reddit

Upwind 12-25kts every single time, feel the power.

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BikerBear76@reddit

Absolutely……upwind in about 15 knots of wind. I love it when she has a bone in her teeth.

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BeesKneesNation@reddit

Upwind for sure

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Admirable-Horse-4681@reddit

Close hauled, after coming out from behind the Berkeley marina breakwater, in summer; you are looking straight down, with your legs wedged against the leeward seat to keep from falling straight down. The best sailing in the world is SF Bay in summer.

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StuwyVX220@reddit

DDW. Anything from 120 to 180 app. 10/15kn app

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andrew0891y@reddit

Tight kite reaches

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astrosail@reddit

Dinghy. Spinnaker up. Beam reach. Crew out on the trapeze. Spray off the bow hitting my face. Boat starts humming. That’s my favorite.

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NoteFuture7522@reddit

This but a performance hobie with a hull flying.

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hilomania@reddit

Oh, I remember that humming sound from the foils on our 470...

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MathematicianSlow648@reddit

down wind twins for days on end

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mag_safe@reddit

I’m a big wing on wing fan as well.

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pheitkemper@reddit

The one that gets me around the mark the fastest.

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Anstigmat@reddit

Just here to heart the Sabre 30.

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b17ch35@reddit (OP)

Beautiful boat. Beneteau First 36.7 heeling in the background

I crew on a Sabre 426

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n0exit@reddit

Downwind 15kts with a spinnaker.

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Sad_Pepper_5252@reddit

Close hauled with the leeward rail swimming 🤙🏼

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gomets1969@reddit

Anything but dead downwind makes me happy.

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XSrcing@reddit

Under sail. I don't care what point I'm at as long as the sail is up.

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Elder_sender@reddit

This is the answer 😎

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Elder_sender@reddit

My favorite is going close hauled beating to windward. That’s where the magic happens, using the wind to move against the wind.

I knew it could be done from my physics class in high school but when I first experienced it myself, by myself, with no instruction, I was enthralled and still marvel at it at 64, especially on a boat weighing 15 tons.

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BIG_BROTHER_IS_BEANS@reddit

I only daysail due to not owning a sailboat. I absolutely adore sailing close hauled. I love heeling as far as the boat can go, and it seldom grows tiring due to the short amount of time I sail at once.

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Gulfstreem36@reddit

Anyone can reach. I prefer the challenge of on the wind.

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b17ch35@reddit (OP)

Commenting to add: pic is my own of Thursday night races in Willoughby bay! Shoutout to any Norfolk/Chesapeake bay sailers out there

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Pficky@reddit

Broad reach, planing in my laser

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GeoffSobering@reddit

I mostly sail a small landsailer. Upwind and downwind.

Kind of a light-wind day, so the upwind angles are pretty bad: https://geoffs.net/tracks/2025-03-25_Ivanpah_practice.html

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False-Character-9238@reddit

Beam reach in 15 knots. Just cruising along.

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indiecore@reddit

Beam.

Wing on wing stresses me out because of my first accidental jibe while getting certified. We had to hold each point of sail for a specific amount of time but we were in a city harbour so the wind was pretty wild because of the streets so it was really stressful.

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Apprehensive-Ant2462@reddit

Broad reach. The classic.

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bvheide1288@reddit

I'm a beam reach slut.

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spinozasrobot@reddit

Beam reach, glass of wine

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HappilyDisengaged@reddit

Close hauled!

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bigmphan@reddit

Broad reach. Not even a contest

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jh937hfiu3hrhv9@reddit

Wing on wing is my least favorite. Sign me up for a close reach leaning back on the push pit giving the wheel a kick here and there.

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hilomania@reddit

I hate going dead downwind. Even when I was sailing displacement hulls. I just hate the motion. Also nowadays on a fast boat, you are slower dead downwind than jibing down in broad reaches. I currently sail a small trimaran as my main boat. Also as a solo sailor I've given up on real spinakers and fly an asymmetric. The theoretical advantage of a real spi doesn't exist for me since they are too much work and leave too much room for screw ups.

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jh937hfiu3hrhv9@reddit

Wing on wing only starts to work for me when wind speeds are over 15. The concentration required is a huge pain. I'm still not sure if reaching with the white sales or dead down gets me to the finish line faster.

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Mrkvitko@reddit

Depends on the wind speed.

5 knots? Close reach / close hauled.

\~10kts? Beam reach.

20kts? Broad reach.

I hate messing with spin pole for wing-on-wing setup, so I usually try to aim for broad reach instead of dead downwind.

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mydogdisagrees@reddit

This is the answer.

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daysailor70@reddit

Broad reach, about 120 degrees off the wind. Gimme 20 knots and my 1967 20k lb girl will hit 8.5+ and feel like a locomotive.

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PrinceWalnut@reddit

Where I live and sail the winds tend to be quite shifty, so I like being on a beam reach as far away from accidental tacking or gybing as possible. But in more stable winds I find feathering to be real fun

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deleted_by_reddit@reddit

[removed]

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sailing-ModTeam@reddit

Your post was removed for conduct unbecoming a Yachtsman.

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Dieppe42@reddit

Close Haul, Rail buried.

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im-an-actual-bear@reddit

I love an easy broad reach

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hilomania@reddit

My boat is a small trimaran. Broad reaches flying the asymmetric are awesome!

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Uncle_Bill@reddit

Reaching for Jesus with a spinnaker!

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ozamia@reddit

Beam to broad reach. Little to no heeling, best speed, low relative wind over the cockpit.

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fransantastic@reddit

In irons :D

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idgafau5@reddit

Instructions unclear, why boat no sail?

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Compuoddity@reddit

It depends. Love the thrill of beam when I'm racing. Also when racing love wing on wing where there's nothing you can do but turn a crank every now and then to try to catch an extra tenth of a knot.

But cruising? There's nothing better than autopilot on a reach in with winds at 5 to 10 where you can sit back and watch life pass you by as you quietly cut through the water.

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keyspc@reddit

31 Bombay motorsailer. Wallows downwind and refuses to point upwind. Broadreach is only direction she sails LoL

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tarbasd@reddit

Usually close hauled. Because most of my sailing is in hot weather, and the apparent wind feels good. Downwind is too hot.

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Financial_Hearing_81@reddit

35knots on the nose beating into confused seas. How do you know you’re alive if you’re not puking over the aft rail, tying sheets into the storm jib!

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Phrostylicious@reddit

A lull, sails down and engine on. Gotta love that calming tuckering sound of the old diesel sputtering about...

Kidding!! Beam reach, of course.

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Mehfisto666@reddit

Well i don't mind motoring in the calm while kicking back and letting the autopilot do the work. Then i can make a coffee, lunch, and take a smoke, read a book...

It's a tough life as a solo sailor and i normally go 10hrs a day for a week when i take off so I'll cherish any chance to relax i can get

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aivopesukarhu@reddit

I started putting together an angry reply in my head. Good one.

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Gouwenaar2084@reddit

Iron mainsail for the win 😉

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b17ch35@reddit (OP)

Had me in the first half ngl…

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