Windshifts

Dubbed "A Tactical Sailing Game", Windshifts uses a novel game system combined with unusual components to recreate international yacht racing.

The board is randomly created as the race develops using 19 plastic map cards that lock together. The race is in three segments; a windward leg, a downwind leg, and then another windward leg to the finish line. As portions of the race are completed, the map cards from that segment are returned to the draw pile to be reused later in the game.

There are no spaces on the board. The direction and strength of the wind are indicated by lines on the plastic map cards. The distance a ship moves is determined by the wind strength and the ship's bearing in relation to the wind direction.

The ships have clear plastic bases with a numbered wheel mounted in the center. The ships' bases have lines molded into them that are aligned with the lines on the map cards to establish the bearing of a ship. As the ship is moved across the map, the wheel in the center turns, and each number on the wheel indicates one unit of movement. On a map card with strong wind indicated a ship bearing on a beat, broad reach or downwind moves 4 units or one complete revolution of the wheel. A beam reach bearing generates 6 units of movement. On a map card with light wind indicated, the movements are half.

A plastic "windshadow" card is used to determine when an opposing boat is in "disturbed air" - this differs based on whether the boats are on the downwind or windward (upwind) leg. The sail of a ship will cause the air downwind (behind) of it to move in weak chaotic swirl patterns, the sail effectively blocks the wind from supplying power to any other boat following downwind within about 1 1/2 boat lengths. In the game, the "windshadow" card is used to determine if one boat has blocked the wind from powering another boat. If this is the case, the movement of the blocked boat is reduced.