split 90?

bkw · #1 (**permalink**) 10-25-2006

when crewing i often hear the skipper use the term "were split 90 or 100" when were about to tack.
what does this mean?

sailingdog · #2 (**permalink**) 10-25-2006

I don't race, but I believe that describes the degrees that the boat will tack through....90 degrees or 100 degrees, which mean that the boat was sailing 45 degrees or 50 degrees off the wind.

paulk · #3 (**permalink**) 10-30-2006

Some skippers use language only they, or their "afterguard" tacticians understand. This is in case crew decide to go elsewhere --- they won't take valuable insider information with them. I have raced for about 40 years and have never heard this term used before, so it must have a mysterious secret meaning that your skipper wants to hide from you. Be forthright and ask him straight out what it means. If he values your participation on the team, he'll tell you. If he won't tell you, or goes into some funky mumbo-jumbo about tacking angles and windshifts he's must be trying to hide something. Ask the tactician. If he says the same thing, they're obviously in cahoots. Does anyone else on the boat know?