Sail Planning

Sail planning is the structured preparation of a voyage under sail, combining route selection, weather assessment, tidal timing, vessel capability, crew readiness and contingency options. It turns a destination into a workable passage plan, with expected headings, sail choices, watch schedules, safe havens and decision points based on the conditions likely to be met.

Good sail planning improves safety and speed by matching the intended track to forecast wind, sea state, tidal gates and daylight. It helps crews avoid lee shores, adverse Tidal Current, heavy weather and unrealistic ETAs, while using Weather Routing and Departure Planning to compare routes and start times.

In PredictWind, sail planning can combine forecast maps, GRIB data, routing results and boat performance inputs such as a Sail Polar. Offshore sailors can update plans underway in the Offshore App, while coastal crews can refine decisions with high-resolution wind, wave and tide information before committing to a passage.