You are under sail on a close reach, and the wind is steady. While steady on course, you reef the mainsail and your speed slows. Which is TRUE about the apparent wind?

Correct Answer: Option B — It will decrease and draw aft

Reducing sail area decreases vessel speed, which alters the vector addition of the true wind and boat's speed vectors. The resulting apparent wind vector decreases in magnitude and shifts aft toward the stern due to the reduced forward velocity component.