Starting Line Strategy

By Katie McDowell

Preparation for a start in a large fleet can be daunting. With 60+ boats on the line, winning the start isn't just about luck—it's about a series of calculated decisions made long before the gun goes off.

1. Pre-Race Preparation

Don't just chat on the sail out to the course. Use this time to gather data.

Tune Up: Adjust hiking straps, boom vang, and jib tension. Test how the boat responds to different degrees of heel in the current chop.
Weather Intel: Look at the clouds and discuss the forecast. Is the breeze oscillating or persistently shifting?
Course Scan: Stand up and look upwind. Are there color or texture differences on the water? Check flags on shore or the lay of the land for geographic shift clues.

2. Picking Your Spot

Position is everything.

Favored End: Go head-to-wind in the middle of the line. Whichever end your bow points closer to is favored. Check this multiple times during the sequence as the wind shifts.
Strategy: Decide if you want to start at the boat, the pin, or somewhere in the middle based on the favored end and your plan for the first leg.

3. The Approach

Starboard Approach: Requires good boat handling. You'll be perched on the line longer and forced to defend against more boats, but you have right-of-way.
Port Approach: Risky but can yield a great hole if timed right. Choose the boat you tack under carefully and ensure you leave a sizable gap to leeward.

4. Defending Your Hole

Once you're set up, you must defend your space from poachers.

The Defense Move: If someone tries to sail into your hole from leeward or astern:
1. Bear Down: Aggressively point your bow at them.
2. Luff Main, Trim Jib: This kills forward speed but rotates the bow down.
3. The Pounce: As soon as the threat is gone, luff the jib and trim the main to catapult the bow back up to windward.
Awareness: Stay vigilant. You are vulnerable while parked.

5. The Final Countdown

30 Seconds: Look for latecomers trying to poach. Look ahead to the line to gauge distance.
10 Seconds: Grab the mainsheet. Gauge your distance—are you one boat length back? Two?
The Acceleration:
1. Bear Away: Slowly pull the tiller and have the crew trim the jib to turn the boat down and build speed.
2. 3 Seconds: Heel the boat to leeward to initiate a rock. Move in tandem with your crew for a smooth motion.
3. The Gun: Flatten the boat aggressively, head up, and hike, hike, hike.

If you execute these steps, you'll punch out off the line with clear air and speed, making the race yours to lose.