A coast guard helicopter hovers between an island and a damaged sailboat. How would you calculate the direct distance between the helicopter and the sailboat?
From the island, the angle of elevation to the helicopter is 73 degrees.
From the helicopter, the island and the sailboat are 40 degrees apart.
A police rescue boat heading toward the sailboat is 800 m away from the scene of the accident. From this position, the angle between the island and the sailboat is 35 degrees.
At the same moment, an observer on the island notices that the sailboat and the police rescue boat are 68 degrees apart.
Explain how you would calculate the straight-line distance, to the nearest metre, from the helicopter to the sailboat. Justify your reasoning with calculations.