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10 - Second Application: a Sailing Computer
The meaning of the symbols used in these diagrams is the following:
The mathematical relationships involved in the calculation of
are given from the equations:
and
These relationships are rewritten under the following shape:
and:
Which give:
Symbol
Meaning
AlphaV
Visible wind angle (weather vane)
Vw
Visible wind speed (anemometer)
Bs
Boat speed (speedometer)
AlphaR
Real wind angle
Rw
Real wind speed
VMG
Real boat speed against the wind, or in before the wind
MG
R
V
Rw
,
,
α
(
) (
)
[
]
2
/
1
²
sin
.
²
cos
.
V
V
Vw
Vw
Bs
Rw
α
α
+
−
=
(
)
V
R
V
Bs
Rw
α
α
α
−
=
sin
sin
(
)
[
]
2
/
1
cos
.
.
2
.
²
V
Bs
Vw
Vw
Bs
Rw
α
−
+
=
÷
÷
÷
+
=
V
V
R
Rw
Bs
α
α
α
sin
.
arcsin
R
MG
Bs
V
α
cos
.
=