Mathematical question.
I'm aware of a story of a compassionate case needing to be sent home from S Georgia PDQ (some time ago, details of the case not really relevant).
The resident frigate is despatched from the Falklands area towards S Georgia at max speed (say 30 kt). Once within Lynx range (say 300nm), Lynx is launched to pick up pax, refuel and return to ship for transit to FI and onward flight home.
Let's say the helo can do 150kt, and (unrealistically) winds are still and there are no sea currents opposing or aiding the ship's progress.
What is the best plan for the ship? Continue on toward S Georgia for a period then await the return of the Lynx, or just do a U-ey and wait for the helo to return for 4-5 hours? Every mile toward S Georgia that the ship covers from the point of release of the helicopter takes 5x as long as the helo can do it in. But the ship also has to backtrack those same number of miles at one-fifth of the speed of the helo.
My rudimentary maths says the best plan is for the ship to stay where it is and twiddle its hypothetical thumbs while the Lynx goes and comes back. But it doesn't "feel" right. Surely there is some benefit to be had by reducing the return range the helo has to fly, even if only by 30nm.
What am I missing? Or is that it, the ship just stays put?