Howdy, team Rare.
I want you to imagine you're a new solo or duo crew. You've collected some loot, but then you spot sails on the horizon. You know you're new, and you know it is now time to run. So, you turn into a headwind and set your sails in the most logical position, the one that would produce the least amount of drag: parallel to the oncoming headwind. Strangely, however, you begin to realize that although the rival crew is also in a sloop, they appear to be gaining on you! Why is that? Shouldn't these boats be going the same speed? So, you switch the sails to the opposite side, still parallel to the headwind so that you create less drag. But maybe you had it on the wrong side. At this point, the rival crew is very close. And gaining still. Which is extra weird, because their sail is set in the way that looks the LEAST efficient: they've got their sails set perpendicular to the headwind. Maybe... just maybe... that is the way you should set your sails? But how does that make any sense...
Too late. The rival crew is upon you.
I see this play out on the seas all. the. time. New players, or players that don't go outside of the game to learn about its unintuitive mechanics are left confused and murdered, unclear on how it is I gained on them.
Please. Fix this. Sails set flush against a headwind should NOT be the fastest position. KEEP the relative speeds (eg. sloops should still be fastest into a headwind). But the setup as-is, is not intuitive. It is nonsense. Give new players and casual players a break.
