If you put the target on your beam (90, 270 degrees) then you make full use of your speed to get in front of him. He should slowly start to move to your back. It's not a garuantee that you'll keep ahead. It's sort of the "desperate man's intercept". It's not the quickest way to close range (pure intercept), but the quickest way to get infront. It depends on his AOB, speed, and your top speed if you stay ahead, or that he moves in view to your bow. If he does start to move to your bow, and you can't increase speed anymore, or allready have him on 90 or 270 degrees then you might aswel break off. He simply wins as he is too quick. Do indeed try to plot his course and measure his speed so you can use that when you are trying to get ahead outside of visual range on the surface.
The quickest way to leave his detection zone is to move perpendicular to his course until he is behind you (at the same time he shows 90 AOB), and then either continue, or turn backwards. Continueing on perpendicular course takes a bit longer to clear the detection circle. Moving on a backwards course is quicker yet you'll have to move around from behind his detection circle.
Also maybe this drawing can help you manouvre around your targets.
- Make 2 concentric circles. The (smalller) circle is representative of the target speed(radius size) AND course (radius direction). The target's arrowtip should be on your current position.The bigger circle has a size representative of your (top or surface, or god forbid 'maximum submerged') speed with arrow direction unimportant.
- Place a protractor with the corner on the target's circle arrowtip. Pull one leg in the compass direction towards the target. Pull the other leg of the protractor how you want to move in respect to the target. Usually in perpendicular angles. 'Pure intercept' has both legs pointing in the same direction to the target. If you want to seperate in distance, make a 180 degree angle out of it. Dancing circles around the target can be done with 90 degree angles.
- Make a line starting from the center of the circles and point it to the crossing of your speed circle and the 'to-go' leg of the protractor. Set course to that direction!!!!
As you manouvre around your target the bearing starts to change so you need to redraw the whole thing again and again. But you can be sure you will be moving in a nice constant distance circle if you keep it up regularly.
