Your best strategy tools (rules of thumb)
Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: Dinghy classes
Forum Name: Dinghy development
Forum Discription: The latest moves in the dinghy market
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=12880
Printed Date: 04 Jul 25 at 8:45pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.665y - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Your best strategy tools (rules of thumb)
Posted By: Guests
Subject: Your best strategy tools (rules of thumb)
Date Posted: 13 Oct 17 at 11:04am
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It occurred to me in the tides thread that it's one thing to decide a strategy when the conditions are known... but racing is rarely that simple. Often we're left you're balancing several gain / loss scenarios; or just have no idea! So what are your favourite strategies that you use 'only the fly' or as 'rule of thumb' when you're uncertain of where the gain will be? It could be for an isolated scenario, or for a whole leg of the course. I'll go first: "stay between the fleet and the mark". I've found, if you ever find yourself toward the top of a fleet, this single tactic almost always preserve a top position. Excluding very obvious and strong tidal bias I rarely break this rule. Often ignoring gusts, shifts and topography to see it through... it very rarely hasn't worked. Over to you...
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Replies:
Posted By: Gordon 1430
Date Posted: 13 Oct 17 at 11:15am
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If the tides against use the Lee bow effect to push you up 
------------- Gordon Phantom 1430 |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 13 Oct 17 at 11:18am
 
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Posted By: GarethT
Date Posted: 13 Oct 17 at 11:37am
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Sail the long tack first.
Obviously, if the tide is running across the course, the lee-bow tack will be the long one (unless the mark layer accounts for it) |
Posted By: davidyacht
Date Posted: 13 Oct 17 at 12:08pm
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Better to be front rank on the start line in the wrong place than second rank in the right place ... with a few caveats depending on the amount of tide and proximity to shoreline! If you find yourself down the pan at the windward mark, sailing deep tends to get you past the luffers and stuffers. Set yourself up to secure room at marks early. ------------- Happily living in the past |
Posted By: maxibuddah
Date Posted: 13 Oct 17 at 12:26pm
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I would disagree a little David. I'd rather be in the second rank right next to the committee boat than at the wrong end of the line but on the front rank. You can tack off immediately and then back again shortly afterwards and far more clear air than at the other end. But then I don't win much so maybe the file of thumb is to go the opposite way to what I'm doing ------------- Everything I say is my opinion, honest |
Posted By: iGRF
Date Posted: 13 Oct 17 at 12:29pm
FTFY  ------------- https://www.corekite.co.uk/snow-accessories-11-c.asp" rel="nofollow - Snow Equipment Deals https://www.corekite.co.uk" rel="nofollow - New Core Kite website |
Posted By: getafix
Date Posted: 13 Oct 17 at 12:33pm
+1 Amazing how overlooked the leeward mark rounding is when talking about or thinking about race tactics. How often do you see people dropping too late and/or being squeezed out to the outside of a 3 or 4 boat 'raft' they could have avoided with some forethought. We all do it, but its doing it infrequently that is the key for me. Boats with racks or wings its even more important, 2 or 3 boats inside you can leave you ~10 metres from the buoy and that's a long way downwind when you start going back up the beat below them! |
Posted By: NickM99
Date Posted: 13 Oct 17 at 12:45pm
| If the Committee Boat end is favoured, work out the close-hauled route to it and arrive in the second rank. The guy in the first rank will almost invariably be a couple of seconds early and will bear away, leaving space and you can squeeze out anybody trying to slot in from upwind. |
Posted By: davidyacht
Date Posted: 13 Oct 17 at 1:05pm
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I concede this point, you can use the second rank at the committee boat end very effectively at Garda to get to the cliffs asap. I guess what I am hinting at is that very often I see a second and third rank group of boats at the favoured end who have no options, whereas being on the line but a bit further up or down can give you a better chance than being buried. So starting might be a bit beyond the simple rule of thumb! ------------- Happily living in the past |
Posted By: H2
Date Posted: 13 Oct 17 at 1:46pm
| Always stay away from the old boy in the Flying Fifteen...at the start...on any leg....regardless of whether you have ROW and at any mark rounding. As a rule of thumb he does not care and in his mind is always right! |
Posted By: Steve411
Date Posted: 13 Oct 17 at 2:15pm
I think also you don't need to be too greedy when starting. If there's a big starboard bias it is actually pretty difficult to get the best start right next to the committee boat with a consequent big risk of getting a crap start (pushed over early, getting leebowed or squeezed out). I often approach the start line on port tack and tack just to leeward of the raft-up under the committee boat which de-risks the starting process, making it easier to get a good, even if not perfect, start. ------------- Steve B RS300 411 https://www.facebook.com/groups/55859303803" rel="nofollow - RS300 page |
Posted By: maxibuddah
Date Posted: 13 Oct 17 at 2:40pm
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Oh, I've done that one too. But usually cos it swinging before the start meaning port flyer and then swung back with about ten seconds to go back to starboard ------------- Everything I say is my opinion, honest |
Posted By: Sam.Spoons
Date Posted: 13 Oct 17 at 3:08pm
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Get the best start you can, it's by far the most important part of the race. Then find clean air. ------------- Spice 346 "Flat Broke" Blaze 671 "supersonic soap dish" |
Posted By: FreshScum
Date Posted: 13 Oct 17 at 3:59pm
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Land on the left = Go left. Land on the right = Don't go right. No land=You'll probably be on the left by the time you can tack anyway. So always plan to go left.
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Posted By: Phil_1193
Date Posted: 13 Oct 17 at 5:03pm
| Don't capsize |
Posted By: Mike Holt
Date Posted: 13 Oct 17 at 5:52pm
| Have a plan. |
Posted By: Oinks
Date Posted: 13 Oct 17 at 6:12pm
Always do the opposite of what my trusty crew tells me...."Too close to the line"...sheet in and go for it, "You won't cross that stbd tacker"...close eyes, keep going, "Go inshore"...head for France, "The breeze will come up"...pack the boat away, head for the bar. Love my crew 
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Posted By: maxibuddah
Date Posted: 13 Oct 17 at 7:32pm
na, have a pasty ------------- Everything I say is my opinion, honest |
Posted By: Mike Holt
Date Posted: 13 Oct 17 at 8:18pm
As good a plan as many...
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Posted By: Sam.Spoons
Date Posted: 13 Oct 17 at 9:05pm
Especially if you sail a Phantom  ------------- Spice 346 "Flat Broke" Blaze 671 "supersonic soap dish" |
Posted By: Rupert
Date Posted: 13 Oct 17 at 9:29pm
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A lunchtime beer is always a good thing, unless the afternoon races are back to back and you are wearing a dry suit. ------------- Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686 |
Posted By: Riv
Date Posted: 13 Oct 17 at 9:31pm
That's why men of a certain age like me never wear drysuits.....
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Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 14 Oct 17 at 10:17am
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There's quite a few variations on the 'sail the long tack' rule all based on preserving options until you're sure which way to go; stay away from the laylines, sail to the centre, play the fleet percentages.
Laylines are tactical dead ends; lifted and you've over stood and boats come in from under you. Headed and you'reon the outside of the shift. Lose lose. |
Posted By: iGRF
Date Posted: 14 Oct 17 at 1:27pm
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I agree about having a plan, always better than not having one, and tell the crew how you're going to approach the start and first beat, then keep him updated with what you think is going on and be open to what he's telling you from out on the wire, he can see more.
The best strategy is to apply the correct tactic to the circumstance and the better your tactical knowledge, the less likely you are to lose. ------------- https://www.corekite.co.uk/snow-accessories-11-c.asp" rel="nofollow - Snow Equipment Deals https://www.corekite.co.uk" rel="nofollow - New Core Kite website |