How much wind is needed to sail?

sarah13

New Member
I am a new owner of a sunfish and am wondering how much wind is needed to get out on the water?:) Thanks for your help.
 
Sarah,

My thought is a breeze above 5 mph will get you going. 8 mph might be better. A Sunfish will sail in very light wind, but below about 8 the skill required actually goes up. For someone new to Sunfish 8 to 12 is a good weather window to look for.
 
If there is a current where you are planning to sail, watch out for that. When the wind is low, a counter current can sweep you backwards :eek:
Same for tides....

PS: I have found myself racing in 0-5 mph winds, but that's hardly fun.
 
.02 knots minimum. Hopefully a bird will fly by and double your wind speed.



P.S. there is no minimum, you will learn a lot sailing in in low winds too, and you will learn how long it takes to get back to shore when becalmed.

-Erik
 

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