WNS presents The Mystery of the Moving Trees

Lindy Thibodaux

Hard to believe Wednesday Night Sails are already coming to an end for 2026… The Moving Trees: I had heard a few skippers mention this trick to (I think??) figure out another boat’s position and speed relative to our own boat— you have to pretend the other boat is not moving, then focus on the trees on land beyond that boat. If the trees appear to be moving to the right or left (or not moving at all), that gets interpreted as… well, that’s where the mystery still continues for me. But at least now I’ve picked up the point about visualizing things differently— it’s challenging to picture a moving thing (the other boat) as not moving, while simultaneously seeing stationary things (trees) as in motion. Not easy! Like thinking about negative space. I will be practicing this…