Apparent wind that measures wind speed in knots and wind direction in degrees relative to the heading of the boat. Modern instrumentation can calculate the true wind velocity when the apparent wind and boat speed and direction are input. In sailboat racing, and especially in speed sailing, apparent wind is a vital factor, when determining the points of sail a sailboat can effectively travel in. A vessel traveling at increasing speed relative to the "prevailing wind" will encounter the wind driving the sail at a decreasing angle and increasing velocity. Eventually, the increased drag and diminished degree of efficiency of a sail
Variable speed wind turbine power for higher wind speeds. A stall-regulated variable speed wind turbine has no pitching mechanism. However, the rotor speed is variable. The rotor speed can either be increased or decreased by an appropriately designed controller. In reference to the figure illustrated in the blade forces section, it is evident that the angle between the apparent wind speed and the plane of rotation is dependent upon the rotor speed. This angle is termed the angle of attack. The lift and drag co-efficients for an airfoil are related to the angle of attack. Specifically, for high angles of attack, an airfoil stalls.