Polars

Polars are performance tables or curves showing the boat speed a sailing vessel should achieve at different true wind speeds and true wind angles. They describe how the hull, rig, sails, displacement and trim work together, forming a practical speed model for planning and routing.

For boaters, accurate polars turn a forecast into a realistic passage plan. They help estimate arrival times, compare routes, choose sail changes, and avoid plans that assume impossible speeds. Polars are especially important when using Weather Routing, assessing True Wind Angle, and calculating VMG on upwind or downwind legs.

PredictWind can use selected or custom polars in routing and departure planning, while AI Polar can build a refined performance model from logged sailing data via DataHub. Better polars improve ETA accuracy and help optimise decisions offshore.