Windward position
With windward position or wind advantage ( English weather gage = weather conditions or weather gauge = weather measuring device ) one describes an advantageous position of a warship in relation to an opposing ship. The term comes from the age of the sailing ships and is no longer used today. A ship has the wind advantage if it is upwind ( windward ) of another ship. Proximity to the mainland, shallows , tides and ocean currents as well as wind changes due to geographical conditions (e.g. due to mountains) play a further role.
A downwind ship can easily sail to any downwind point. It can thus sail quickly with the wind on the enemy and thus shorten the distance to the battle range at a desired point in time. If the opponent wants to shorten the distance, he has to show up against the wind with difficulty and loss of time . When a sailing ship crosses against the wind, it is heeled by the lateral pressure . The use of the cannons can be restricted by too much heeling. The upwind cannons are raised and you can no longer target the enemy with them.
Heeling can also be a problem for the ship that has the wind advantage. The cannons are lowered on the side facing away from the wind and, depending on the incline of the ship, point to the surface of the water. In heavy seas it can happen that water penetrates through the gun ports and these eventually have to be closed and the lower battery deck cannot be used. In order to use the wind advantage, the ship that has the wind advantage must adjust its course so that it comes into an ideal attack position with a moderate lean angle. Due to the advantages mentioned, the initiative usually comes from the ship in windward position.
If the ship in the wind direction is a faster ship, it can easily escape.