True Sailing Wind

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True Sailing Wind (TSW) is the wind felt from a platform floating freely in a current of water. The TSW speed and direction is the vector product of the True Wind speed and direction (measured from a platform fixed to the ground, such as an anchored boat) combined with the speed and direction of the current of water.

For example; When the current is moving in the same direction as the True Wind, the speed of the TSW is that of the True Wind minus a proportion of the speed of the current. When the current is across the True Wind, the TSW direction will be different to that of the True Wind, coming from the right hand side of True Wind if the current is flowing to the right.

When the current is moving in the opposite direction to the True Wind, the speed of the TSW is that of the True Wind plus a proportion of the speed of the current. The TSW direction will be from the left hand side if the current is flowing to the left.

Any sailboat racing in tidal waters is a free floating platform using the TSW to generate motion through the water and can measure this wind direction and speed by any of the common methods. Then, by knowing the present and future tide speeds and directions, the crew can anticipate changes in either wind direction or speed or both due solely to changes in the tidal current as the race progresses.

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