It is interesting to note that the mishaps to both Katrina and Vigilant occurred on the 13th of the month.
The jibtopsail when a yacht is close-hauled is of very little use, especially in a bit of a breeze. Some skippers set what is known as a "baby-jibtopsail" when the wind is very light. It is questionable if the sail is of any benefit at all under such circumstances. In my opinion, the sail makes the boat's head sag off to leeward, lee helm being the result. If no such sail were made, I think it would never be missed. Of course, with the wind free the jibtopsail, from its most diminutive size to its most extreme balloon development, is a very valuable sail.
In taking note of the speed of boats the length should be considered. I remember that the 40-footer Gossoon, the conqueror of the Scotch cutter Minerva in 1890, without any tide to help or retard her, made in a race I saw an average of nine knots an hour. This means that to accomplish this feat she had to run her length in 2-3/4 seconds. A little reflection will show that this is a remarkable achievement for so small a vessel.
It may be mentioned here that a nautical mile, a knot, and a geographical mile are one and the same thing. A knot equals 1.15 statute miles. Multiply the number of knots by 1.15, and you have the distance in statute miles. There are 6,080 feet in a knot; 5,280 feet in a statute mile,
