Weight Sails / Cargo Rack Interaction

[Bleakwise 6]

As it is now, on something like a brig or gallion, you will either have a weight sail or 2 cargo racks and all speed sails. The all-speed-sail option actually provides more benefit, for the price of 3200 weight on your ship and loss of 20% speed and can carry 16,000 weight in cargo racks.

Witha  weight sail, you can carry an extra 4000 stones, but you loose more like 25-30% speed.

What would be great would be if weight sails would negate the cargo-rack speed penalty. So a small would negate one, a medium two, and a large would negate three. This way having a weight sail and cargo racks wouldn't slow your ship down like 50% of what it originally was with 3 speed sails and no racks.

[Jack Shandy 242]

Not a fan of negating things compleatly.

But having an interaction between placed items is always good as it alows differing options.

I'd be in favour of a reduction of the speed penalty, or an increace in capacity, or an increace in weight reduction of the racks per weight sail.

 

[Sheepshooter 120]

Your assumption is wrong in that you think you loose 40% of the max possible speed, while in reality you only loose 40% of whatever speed is possible under current weight ratio of the ship. As weight sail lower the weight ratio you go faster with them if the ship has significant weight in the hold.

And the cargo racks are there for you to easily (and not switching out sails in a complete build) carry more cargo temporary. But they are limited to stuff you not need during travel, so no weight reduced cannon balls and repair materials that are available at sea.

And again, the cargo racks do not reduce 40% from the top speed empty hull, but only 40% of whatever weight ratio the ship has. So the ship does not get faster than the empty cargo hold, but stays faster than your full cargo hold.

Build your ship to your liking with empty cargo (only stuff you need to be sea worthy). Than check if you would go faster with one or more weight sails than speed sails.
If you need extra cargo at some point add a rack or two that you are able to fill up.

Say your battle brig is ready at 12.000 weight (level1), you add a weight sail and it will be faster than with three speed sails (switch is around 10.000 weight).
As long as your meta is all speed sails and nothing else you will go slower when you have too much weight, but please do not complain about the other options while you are already slower than possible, just because the weight sails and racks have a speed reduction (which is more than negated when used properly...)