Yah ok ok I didn't register the month changing. I soon will though *grrrr*. >:¬/
Yes, there are a number of factors which control your speed.
Firstly you need to know that the speed given is your speed through the water only, and that the water is also moving so the speed shown does not factor your "over ground" speed. If you run with a strong current you can get another 6 kts ot so that aren't displayed.
Secondly you also need to know that in the latest version the wind bearing and strength changes. In a strong wind, on a good tack with the right sail setting it is possible to achieve about 16kts through the water, other times you'll be stuck in irons.
If your heading in a given direction and the wind is against you then you need to tack across wind, when the wind is on the nose no amount of sail control will capture any wind in the sail, the more wind you get in the sail, the faster you go.
This bring us up to the last and most important point of all. Get your sail flat to the wind. If you have your sail too tight you are missing out on potential wind and if it's too loose and flapping about then it's not doing you any good either.
In the perfect world you would know exactly where the point is where if you let the sail out anymore it would start flapping about. Of course, you dont know where that point is until it starts flapping - therefore most sailors work on the following principle:
Keep a little tiny itsy witsy bit of eeny weenie flapping going on at the very edges of your sails. This shows you are right next to the perfect angle, if you get it any more perfect and the wind changes direction you may end up with your sails too tight and not notice - so keeping the slightest bit of slack there lets you know your on the very edge.
To do this requires almost constant small adjustments as you continually modify your tack in search of more speed in relation to your destination (relativity is important because quite often in sailing you dont sail to your target because of the wind), and as a consequence then make small adjustmets your sail position.
There just isn't a way to find a sweet spot and keep it there for long, and that is half the challenge of sailing at high speed. At some point, your going to be doing less than your potential maximum, and that point is a constant known as "all the time".
With regards to wind: In addition to the global wind direction and bearing the sea surface colour also changes to show differentials in local weather. Darker patches of sea appear where there is more wind, and lighter patches appear where there is less wind.
Do you have any tips on getting it faster than 6 kts?
Yes, there are a number of factors which control your speed.
Firstly you need to know that the speed given is your speed through the water only, and that the water is also moving so the speed shown does not factor your "over ground" speed. If you run with a strong current you can get another 6 kts ot so that aren't displayed.
Secondly you also need to know that in the latest version the wind bearing and strength changes. In a strong wind, on a good tack with the right sail setting it is possible to achieve about 16kts through the water, other times you'll be stuck in irons.
If your heading in a given direction and the wind is against you then you need to tack across wind, when the wind is on the nose no amount of sail control will capture any wind in the sail, the more wind you get in the sail, the faster you go.
This bring us up to the last and most important point of all. Get your sail flat to the wind. If you have your sail too tight you are missing out on potential wind and if it's too loose and flapping about then it's not doing you any good either.
In the perfect world you would know exactly where the point is where if you let the sail out anymore it would start flapping about. Of course, you dont know where that point is until it starts flapping - therefore most sailors work on the following principle:
Keep a little tiny itsy witsy bit of eeny weenie flapping going on at the very edges of your sails. This shows you are right next to the perfect angle, if you get it any more perfect and the wind changes direction you may end up with your sails too tight and not notice - so keeping the slightest bit of slack there lets you know your on the very edge.
To do this requires almost constant small adjustments as you continually modify your tack in search of more speed in relation to your destination (relativity is important because quite often in sailing you dont sail to your target because of the wind), and as a consequence then make small adjustmets your sail position.
There just isn't a way to find a sweet spot and keep it there for long, and that is half the challenge of sailing at high speed. At some point, your going to be doing less than your potential maximum, and that point is a constant known as "all the time".
With regards to wind: In addition to the global wind direction and bearing the sea surface colour also changes to show differentials in local weather. Darker patches of sea appear where there is more wind, and lighter patches appear where there is less wind.