What angle can the best race boards sail upwind to with respect to the apparent wind?
I've seen claims that in 6 knots of wind, the top racers are sailing upwind at over 10 knots. I guess upwind is a relative term, but even if they can sail 25 degrees to the apparent wind, that is only sailing at 70 degrees to the true wind.
I checked my calculation of angle with this website: http://www.sailingusa.info/true_wind_calculator.htm
Calculated angle between heading and apparent wind to be 25 degrees for inputs of hull speed = 10 knots, true wind speed = 6 knots, and angle of hull to true wind = 70 degrees.
I've noticed this on my GPS plots in light winds (<10 knots) my speed is equal to or better than the wind speed, but upwind angle is horrible!
Do the top racers sail at 70 degrees to true wind when racing in 6 knots or do they slow down and point higher?