What are Polar Diagrams?
Polar diagrams help you predict how fast you’ll sail for a given wind angle and wind speed.
Polar Diagrams are used for three systems in Orca: Laylines, Instruments, and Routing. Accurate polars make these systems better, so you want to use representative polars for the best experience in Orca.
For more general information about polars, see the Polar Diagram article.
How do I set up my Polar Diagram in Orca?
From Main Menu > My Boat > Polar Performance, you’ll have two options:
Search for your boat or boat type in the ORC database
Create a Custom Polar Diagram
Offshore Race Committee (ORC) Polars
If you don’t have an ORC polar, search for your boat type instead. The ORC database has more than 6000 sailboats and it's quite likely it contains your boat.
If you are unlucky and your boat type is not in the ORC database, search for a similar boat type that aligns with your boat’s sailing performance. For instance, a Hanse owner might select a Bavaria that is similarly sized. As a last resort, try to find your boat’s polar diagram online and enter it manually in Orca.
Keep in mind that your ORC polar may not represent your actual performance. After selecting your polar, we recommend that you fine-tune your polar.
Custom Polars
If you are unable to find any good approximations for your polar diagram, you can create a Custom Polar.
When creating a Custom Polar Diagram, you’ll first be asked to enter performance targets for 10 knots wind speed. From your 10 knots polar, Orca will extrapolate your performance targets to the remaining wind speeds from 6 to 20 knots. After this, you can edit your polar freely.
Polar Diagrams are synced between all your devices when connected to the internet.
How do I fine-tune my polar diagram for routing?
The polar diagram reflects your boat’s maximum theoretical speed, which is hard to reach in practice. To make Sail Routes match your actual sailing pace, you want to scale the polar speeds to the sailing speed you can achieve.
The best way to track your actual sailing performance is to add a Polar Performance and Target Beat Angle instrument to your sailing instrument panel. This way, you can keep track of your typical sailing performance versus your maximum theoretical speed and beat angle.
Once you have tracked your typical performance, adjust your Polar Scaling and Beat Angle Offset accordingly in Main Menu > My Boat > Route Settings.
