Racing

So, you are joining in with the racing. How are your starts? Have you thought what you are losing by starting even a few seconds later than the opposition, even if this is just the person who usually just  finishes ahead?  

Some sailors may not be properly afloat, let alone in the starting area as the countdown starts. It is then quite clear that the other boats are well ahead, sometimes by several  lengths. However, it may not be obvious how much you are giving away when you are a few seconds late.

For example: at about three knots, not a great speed  you give away one boat length in three seconds. Even without the fact of making up the lost distance there  is also the tactical disadvantage, even to a boat of the same class or possibly a slower boat. Faster boats will be able to regain this advantage but will still have a time loss.  

If the race time is about forty five minutes, a boat of 1100 to  1150 handicap will be sailing to the equivalent  of one yardstick point lower for each two and a half seconds of late start. In the seventy five minute races each 3.6 seconds late means  that you are one handicap point down.

There is no easy answer to good starts. There is an element of sailing skill, but a concept of time and space is needed too. Starts can be like a melee, with boats dodging this way and that and it can be difficult to plan anything with your whole time taken in avoiding others.  

You do not need to join in with this, get a bit clear but do not get too far away. If you had been there early enough you should have some idea of how long  it will take you to get to the start from  some chosen point.  When the one minute signal goes you should have some idea of the course to take and when to turn,  say twenty  to thirty seconds. Unfortunately another sailor may will upset your plan. This is where your  plan B or plan C if you had one may save your position. Never mind if you were not able to make a perfect start. Many of the others were also late.

You do not need to start from the start side, just remember you will lose your rights as soon as the start signal is made. Away from the actual races, practise your approaches to a buoy to arrive at a specific time.   If you can get someone else to join you, so much the better. When the racing coach came he spent a lot of time doing start after start.

Now that you are on your way do you want to have an idea of how you are lying compared  to boats of other classes? You need to know your  Handicap and that of the other boat: take one from the other  and multiply that by 2.5 seconds for each point for the normal forty five minute race, and 3.6 seconds for a seventy minute race. Turn this into minutes and seconds before you start racing. Use this information  to get some idea at the ten minute intervals during the race.

If  you know your handicap and that of the other boat you may be able to get a good idea of relative positions by comparing your elapsed times. If the other boat is a Laser, PN 1078, and your handicap is 1153, try to see where they are at 10.75 minutes  after the start. You are about level if you reach that point at 11.50 minutes.

Use this in a similar way for boats with a higher handicap behind you. Have some idea of the multiples of your elapsed time and those of the other  boat or boats. You should calculate these before racing, though it may be possible to do the arithmetic in your head.

This article was submitted by Tom, who also submitted the attached spreadsheet that has calculated times so that different boats can compare their positions at different times in a race.