Happened to find something on wind research for cruising.
Under tittle : Wind Research for San Diego
http://www.sailingworld.com/article.jsp?ID=41553&typeID=403&catID=598
To win in any sailing racing, beside a good designed ship, you will also need good team of crews and a experienced captain..and very much and often the strong directional wind.
On land at port, we may feel the very strong directional wind for long long time and getting stronger day after day, but the ship still very far from port. The captain may not feel it when got nothing to guage the distance. The crews will not tell the captain.
With strong directional wind and good ship, brillant captain, why the ship moved so slowly....
Only things, the crews are too heavy.