Zoom coaching session with Adrian Finglas and Ben Lamb.
Here is a summary…
Starting
Head out for starts 1 hour before race starts (unless really windy)
Intent is to assess
- Which way left or right?
- Wind Shift patterns?
- How many tacks do we think we want to do/need to do up first leg?
- First 2 , 3, 5 minutes after signal critical.
- How shifty is the breeze?
- How long do the shifts last?
- How ‘deep’ do we go into the shifts/knocks before you tack?
- Any tidal influence?
Practice ‘start’ routine before the start, multiple times. Do this process with an imaginary start line to the right/starboard end of the Start Boat. If you have a coach boat, lay some marks at or near the actual start line/start boat.
Choose where you want to start on the line, after doing the assessment outlined above.
This is the way Ben starts – before the start signal (i.e. do this multiple minutes before and during the start sequence) get to the point you wish to start at on the line. Gybe away from starboard to port. Head away from the line on port tack at 45degrees for 7 boat lengths. Roll back to tack and commence approach to line, ending up back at the point you wanted to start at. Do this multiple times until you have sequence, timing and position down pat.
You can’t go from “nothing” to “racing” without practice or knowledge or assessment of settings….particularly if you are a ‘one day per weekend’ club level sailor. You must practice your start sequence.
Getting the bow at the ‘right angle’ at the right time off the line. After the start signal, sail fast for best VMG, not high, unless you absolutely have to sail high due to other boats.
If you are high and fast in pre-start manoeuvers versus high and slow, you are in a ‘strong’ position, other boats won’t come near you or won’t be able to come near you.
Use this and double tacks to protect your position. If you have the speed you can do the double tacks promptly and efficiently, without fear. Do the double tacks (multiples) in the last 50, 40 30 seconds. Boats won’t be able to get to you.
Ben said he tended to be good/kind to the weather boat and not get too greedy, ie. don’t kill the boat to windward too early. It is the boats underneath that are the problem. You don’t want other boats coming in underneath you to early.
Start line – there was a question about what to do if the line is pin end favoured, but you want to go right or right is favoured? If a big long line, lots of boats and pin end is favoured materially (i.e. 10 degrees – 15 degrees) you CANNOT afford to go to favoured course side. You will lose too much distance on the fleet. Try to start towards the favoured end but necessarily at the favoured end e.g. hedge bets a little. Start maybe ½ or 2/3 to where you want to start. Useful anecdote – in many regattas you will see the same top level boats all stacking up at the same place on the line in each race start, regardless of line bias i.e. they are not prepared to risk one end or the other.
