Facebook

Login

Support Sailonline

If you haven't already - join the SAILONLINE YACHT CLUB!

Please also consider making a donation - all amounts are greatly appreciated!

Board » General Discussion » Performance diagrams

I'm curious about the VPP diagram for the 40 ft monohull. At high wind speeds, the lines sometimes cross each other, meaning that when the wind is increasing, the boat speed will decrease. I have not seen this in other VPP diagrams and it seems very unexpected to me. How do you explain this?
Lars Möller
Hometown: Karlskrona, Sweden
Hej, Well I am somewhat curious too... Sometimes things happen fast here... One can imagine situations where a higher wind speed results in lower boat speed. When beating this is often the case due to increased drag. When reaching this can also happen when e.g. a certain efficient sail cannot withstand the higher wind loads and thus cannot be used. So, such things can happen BUT: In this case I can agree that we have exaggerated the characteristics too much. Sorry.
...one of the guys behind the game...
Tks for your reply. However, an increased drag can only happen if the speed is increased. So, I'm afraid I'm still not convinced.
Compare for instance the VPP on this site:
http://www.shipman.dk/articles/?m0=6&m1=97
Lars Möller
Hometown: Karlskrona, Sweden
generally I agree that the polar lines shouldn't cross. But.. increased windage and heeling (causing increased rudder and increased displacement)can slow the boat down.
Hi. Fun discussion!. Lamo: one theoretically obtained polar does not make much as evidence unless you know much about the underlaying models. I can show you several polars with crossing curves. Secondly, I don´t think you read my last post thoroughly. Decreased speed does not have to be caused by increased drag. It might be caused by decreased thrust, as I was arguing the last time. I also agree with Pipedream that heal, waves etc complicates life. So, polar-lines might cross, nothing strange there. Ok?

...one of the guys behind the game...
Hi jakob

I guess you have studied polar diagrams a lot more than I. Still I like to understand what I see. For instance, the diagram for the VO70 makes sence as I see it. When reaching at TWA 130, the boat speed will always increase as the wind speed increases. Still the lines cross when close hauled, which you might expect because of increase wind and wave resistance. So far so good.

What I could not (and still cannot) understand is the feature in diagram for the 40 ft monohull at TWA 150 degr, where you have
10 m/s > 10 knots
12 m/s > abt 12,5 knots
14 m/s > abt 12,8 knots
18 m/s > abt 12,2 knots
22 m/s > abt 13,5 knots
In this case it's hard to imagine the behaviour of the 18 m/s line. Wind or wave resistance could hardly have this effect when reaching at 150 TWA.
Lars Möller
Hometown: Karlskrona, Sweden
Post hidden by jakob :
SNIP
Hi, First of all, as I admitted a couple of posts ago I agree that this polar is not perfect, It is hand-manipulated by us. The behavior you are referring to could still be a result of that no optimal sails are available for the 18m/s wind. So, principally, the characteristics are possible BUT I agree that in this particular instance the "bucket" is fairly unlikely. We will in the future try to come up with even more realistic polars. Thank you for communicating with us!
...one of the guys behind the game...

Please login to post a reply.

Races

Next Race: 00d 00h 00m


Current Races:

Magical Mediterranean 2026 - Benghazi to Korcula

We return to Antiquity’s Middle Sea for a seventh celebration of all things Mediterranean - fickle winds, history and olive oil. This time we will sail from ancient Benghazi, whence once grain shipped continuously to feed Rome’s urban masses, to the medieval Venetian thalassocracy’s port of Korcula, birthplace of Marco Polo; 700nm in classy Club Swan 50s!
Race #1978
INFO by brainaid.de
Club Swan 50 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: MED - SYC
Race starts: Jul 27th 15:00 Registration Open!

▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Red Eye 2026 - Georgian Bay

Welcome to the sensational scenic Georgian Bay of northern Lake Huron, the first area of the Great Lakes to be visited by Europeans in 1615, so former SOLer A2R informed us when he designed this geometrically tortuous course of 317nm criss-cross through its island maze. Originally known as Lake Manitoulin, in 1822 the bay was renamed after King George IV after his succession to the throne. This time we’ll take the very flashy Fareast 31R, which hopefully should keep you wide awake!
Race #2051
INFOby brainaid.de
Fareast 31R PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: RED - SYC
Race starts: Jul 26th 08:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Tall Ships 2026 - Stavanger to Aalborg


Welcome to the fourth of four virtual Tall Ships Races in European waters which are concurrently being organized in-real-life by Sail Training International . This fourth race is from Stavanger in Norway into the Skaggerak to a finish off Denmark’s Aalborg and perhaps an Aquavit to toast the adventure afterwards – a final circa 250nm in Sailonline’s classic Clipper 240.
NOTE: Starts and Finishes in tall ships racing are always offshore to avoid conflict with shipping and shipping lanes; online and real-life may not match exactly.
Race #1995
INFO by brainaid.de
Clipper 240 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: TSI - SUPBUD - SYC
Race starts: Jul 25th 16:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Chinook Salmon - Canada to Andreanovs


A year after spawning in the upper reaches of the rivers of British Columbia, Chinook Salmon develop the age-old urge, so familiar to SOLers, to go to sea, heading for different parts of the northern Pacific Ocean. This race catches up with a particular school with an instinctive memory for the Andreanov Islands far west on the Aleutian Islands chain, as they depart the Salian Sea between Vancouver Island and the San Juans. It’s 2200nm and we’re taking the 60ft Trimaran, in the hope we can keep up!
Race #2048
INFOby brainaid.de
60ft Trimaran PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: MIG - SYC
Race starts: Jul 21st 11:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Juventud TIMED Race 2026

Welcome to Isla de la Juventud (Isle of Youth), Cuba’s second largest island after mainland Cuba. Known as a haven for pirates, the island was the inspiration for novels “Treasure Island” and “Peter Pan”. The circa 120nm course runs clockwise around the island.
This is a TIMEDrace so you may RE-REGISTER HEREto try again after finishing a run. You will have two weeks to test your skill and decision making after the race opens.
Race #2049
INFOby brainaid.de
The boat for this race is the sporty Mini 6.5p Foil PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking:
TRQ3 - TRCH - SYC
RACE CLOSE: Saturday,
1 August at 23:00 UTC
Race starts: Jul 19th 12:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Alaska to Easter Island 2026

Welcome to yet another all-new series. The initial leg of the RNW (Round the New World), Alaska to Easter Island, also part of our Ocean Championship. The first race of OCQ3 2026. This race will be sailed in our revised 'version 2' Imoca 60 Foil. Race #2042
INFO by brainaid.de
Imoca 60 Foil v2 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: OCQ3 - RNW - OCCH - SYC
RACE CLOSE: Saturday,
August 1 at 2300 UTC.
Race starts: Jul 06th 11:00 Registration Closed
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Go to race archive

SYC Ranking

  1. Sailonline Yacht Club Member KaSToR
  2. Sailonline Yacht Club Member WRmirekd
  3. Sailonline Yacht Club Member CriticalHippo
  4. Sailonline Yacht Club Member cdhinman
  5. Sailonline Yacht Club Member Panpyc
  6. Sailonline Yacht Club Member rafa
  7. Sailonline Yacht Club Member ita10267
  8. Sailonline Yacht Club Member bonknhoot
  9. Sailonline Yacht Club Member ms0689
  10. Sailonline Yacht Club Member rthinman

View full list

Series

Mobile Client

SYC members have the benefit of access to our mobile/lightweight web client!

The mobile client