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Sailing guide

Wind pressure, gusts and lulls

Read stronger wind and lulls, compare a detour with its gain, and control load. Practise downwind gusts and stronger wind in guided lessons.

By the SailPolars team · Updated

SailPolars sailing simulator practice scene

Find stronger wind

Sailors often call stronger wind pressure. In SailPolars, darker pressure patches show stronger wind. Lighter patches show lulls. Shore shadows and reflections are scenery, not wind information.

Look for a broad patch that your route can intercept. A narrow patch far away may disappear or move before you reach it. Compare the extra distance with the likely gain.

Respond on a run

A gust is a short increase in wind speed. A lull is a decrease. A useful downwind angle can change as the wind speed changes.

In the guided gust lesson, try sailing deeper in a gust and higher in a lull. Compare downwind progress after speed settles. The response depends on boat class. It is not a fixed instruction for every real boat.

Keep control in a breeze

A gust can increase heel and load. In the load lesson, watch the load display and ease before control is lost. Release the ease as load falls.

Ordinary game races can have different risk settings from the load lesson. Read the current settings. A simulator display does not replace judgment about safe wind limits on the water.

Practise this idea

  1. Open Find the pressure.
  2. Locate the broad stronger patch and plan an interception.
  3. Sail toward it without unnecessary turns.
  4. Compare your result with a direct route in the same weather.
  5. Try Work gusts and lulls, then Keep the boat under control, from Training.
Open the matching lesson

Avoid this mistake

Do not sail a large detour toward every dark patch. A speed increase must repay the extra distance and turns.

Check your understanding

Can you reach stronger wind and return to the target with a net gain? Repeat with a fresh weather seed.

Continue learning

This guide follows the SailPolars sailing school and guided practice lessons. Game controls describe the simulator. They do not replace practical instruction on a real boat.

Next: Choose a side: shifts, pressure and currentAll practice lessons