North

Wind shifts are like stocks. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. But in the absence of anything better to go on, when it comes to predicting the movement of the true wind direction, the recent past can be a powerful tool. It can tell you the frequency and magnitude of the shifts and give you an idea of what how far left or right the breeze will wobble so when you come around the leeward mark you know rather quickly whether you’re on an up or down number.