Sailing a slow boat in a fast fleet - tips please.

Then at almost every mark rounding come the back markers in fast boats sailed shall we say less accurately when it comes to lay lines. Then this last couple of races the problem compounded further by counter tide.

I'm locked in battle now, with the Mackerel fleet, (Lasers) which is a lot more competent than I noted it last time, some of them have been reading a book by somebody called Paul Goodison, he of the bent mast at  the Weymouth Olympics fame, that nobody seemed to have noticed.

So I'm learning stuff, often bad stuff like selling them dummies when it comes to mark rounding, meaning I have to overstand knowing they will, but none of which is conducive to sailing the shortest course which we all know is what is required and must, if this is going on everywhere, contribute to the slowing of the handicap generally.

Following yesterdays debacle it almost pays not to win the start, let them go then pick your way round the course as my nemesis did on the first rounding and eventually caught up and nailed me as I failed to lay a tidal mark due to all the dirty air of over taking boats, but would you think of that scenario in advance? Do you have a particular plan to deal with it? As you can see I'm interested to hear how you cope.. My nature aint handling it that well, which is a shame because I'm loving my little boat, just can't deal with the stress of other folk wrecking your race. I did get it back this time thanks to a better tidal call on the return to shore leg but it was a close run thing and I'm not sure I enjoy the pressure for over an hour, there must be some other tactical tricks I'm missing.

You can luff still. How much you can luff depends on how the overlap was established. You must also give the give way boat room to keep clear meaning you cannot do a sudden luff.

The basics are:

Overlap established from astern with the faster boat going off to Leeward.

W is the keep clear boat but L cannot luff above their proper course.

Overlap established from astern with the faster boat going to windward.

W is the keep clear boat and L can luff up to head to wind as long as they give W enough room and time. This includes time to drop spinnakers if applicable.

The right to luff only ends when the overlap is completely broken.

There are other constaints too but the basics of the above should keep you out of trouble. I usually make is crystal clear that a boat can come past to leeward but not to windward (unless the next mark round will be on the leeward side of the boat of course).