Look Up at the Burgee… or Look Down at a Screen?
Why We’re Building Our Own Wind Speed & Direction Indicator
When you’re sailing a dinghy, especially on a river, you’re constantly asking one simple question:
What is the wind doing right now?
For generations, sailors have answered that by looking up at a burgee or telltales.
More recently, we’ve started looking down at electronic wind displays showing speed and direction in neat digital numbers.
Both approaches work.
Both have limitations.
And that’s exactly why we’re building our own wind speed and direction indicator.
Looking Up: The Burgee Advantage
There’s a reason the humble burgee is still everywhere.
What it does brilliantly
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Shows instant wind direction at the boat
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Needs no power, calibration, or software
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Trains sailors to feel the wind rather than chase numbers
On rivers like the Thames, where wind bends, lifts, and disappears behind trees, a burgee often tells you more than any instrument ever could.
But…
What it doesn’t tell you
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Actual wind speed
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What’s happening away from the boat
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How conditions are changing over time
Looking Down: Electronic Wind Indicators
Electronic wind sensors bring a different kind of clarity.
Their strengths
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Quantitative wind speed (great for learning and analysis)
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Logged data over time
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Remote placement (masthead, bank-side, safety boat)
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Useful for coaching, teaching, and post-sail review
But they come with a cost:
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Lag and smoothing hide rapid changes
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Screens draw eyes into the boat, not out at the water
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Numbers can distract beginners from developing instinct
Why We’re Building Our Own
Off-the-shelf systems are often:
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Too expensive
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Designed for yachts, not dinghies
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Over-complicated for teaching environments
So we’re creating a simple, robust, educational wind indicator designed specifically for learning sailors.
Our Design Goals
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Direction you can see instantly (physical vane or LED compass rose)
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Wind speed that makes sense (visual scale, not just numbers)
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Data logging for teaching and review
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Low cost & repairable
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River-friendly, coping with turbulence and gusts
Think of it as:
A burgee that can explain itself.
The Teaching Angle
For learners, especially adults starting later in life, this hybrid approach is powerful:
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Look up → develop instinct and awareness
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Look down (briefly) → confirm, reflect, and learn
Instead of replacing traditional sailing skills, the electronics reinforce them.
The Big Question
If a burgee tells you what the wind is doing now…
and electronics tell you what it’s been doing overall…
Why not use both—designed properly for learning sailors?
That’s exactly what we’re working on.
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