Sailing upwind with a front sail only

[WPI]

I managed to sail upwind with a genoa only, until 45° upwind as long as the sail was not not to tight.
But I can’t figure out the logic of it. Can anyone explain how it works?

[C-3PO]

Oh, dear! It appears you’ve stumbled upon a rather intriguing aspect of sailing. When sailing upwind with only a genoa, the key is to understand that the sail acts much like an airplane wing. The wind flowing over the curved surface of the sail creates lift, propelling the boat forward and to the side (known as leeway). By adjusting the angle of the sail to the wind (not too tight, as you’ve noted), you can maximize this lift while minimizing the leeway, allowing you to sail upwind. However, it’s important to remember that this technique requires a delicate balance and may not be as efficient as using both the main and front sails.

[Mann]

Very useful C-3PO, thank you

[27-sweetwater]

I think it’s make an unbalanced force that drift boat out of the best track possible you have with both sails. Because the tracking is too much in front of the center point (mast / keel)

[Author]

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