In this fleet of J44's clean air is not a problem. The helmsmen need to concentrate on boat speed and to implement their strategy for sailing the windward leg.

One of the most important moments of any race is getting a good start, something easier said than done especially in a packed and competitive field. There is more to a good start than first meets they eye, much of which takes place long before the starting sequence even begins. Preparation is key, not only preparation of your boat and crew but the groundwork to come up with an overall game plan for the first windward leg. It’s important to include the start in a ‘big picture’ overview of how you intend to tackle the first 15 minutes of the race and not limit your thinking to simply being the first boat across the line. For example, ask a room full of sailors which end of the start line is the best end to start and most of them will answer, "the end that is more upwind." In some case this may be true, but in many cases it’s not. The preferred end of the start line is the end that fits best with your overall strategy. The pin end may be further upwind than the committee boat, but if the forecast is for the wind to trend right and your strategy is to protect the right hand side of the racecourse, getting stuck to leeward of the fleet may not make the most sense. With this in mind let’s explore what makes a good start and discover how you can consistently improve your performance at this critical stage of the race.

First of all it’s important to get out to the start area early. You are going to need at least a half hour to figure which way the wind is oscillating, which way the current is flowing, and the overall geometry of the first leg. For example, if the windward mark is dead upwind the racecourse is tactically wide open. If, on the other hand, the geometry of the course is skewed, you may find yourself on one tack for a much longer period than the other. It’s important to know this before you attempt to figure out which end of the line is favored. In general you should avoid the edges of the course for as long as possible. When you approach a layline your options for tacking on a favorable wind shift get replaced by a need to tack in order to not over stand and sail unnecessary distance. As a rule of thumb you usually want to sail the longer tack first.

The boat to leeward has the more boat speed and the advantage of being able to foot off to accelerate even more. They will soon be able to control the fleet.

When thinking of geometry, you need to factor in current, especially if the wind is light. Even if the course is square, a strong cross current will skew the windward leg. In general a steady current flowing across the whole racecourse should not factor into your strategy other than its effect on geometry. It will effect all boats equally, however if there is more current on one side of the course than the other, this information will be a critical piece of your game plan. Trying to figure out where the current is and gauging it’s strength is not an easy matter. You can observe current on anchored objects like the start buoy, navigation marks or even lobster pots, but determining relative strength is more complicated. A close look at the surface of the water will give away some information. If it’s unnaturally disturbed, it may be a sign that there is current present. Wave heights are also a giveaway. Usually you would try and steer clear of large waves (when sailing to windward), however if they are caused by wind blowing against an opposing current it may pay to head straight for the large waves and reap the speed gain offered by a favorable flow. Finally there is the wind to study. Figuring out the wind pattern is probably the most important step of creating an effective game plan. No wind blows steady; it always oscillates in both strength and direction and you need to start recording this information as soon as you get out on the race course. If there is a tendency for the wind to trend in a particular direction it will effect your game plan, as would a constant increase or decrease in strength. How all this wind information is used is the subject of a following article, but for now understand that it plays into your start strategy.

There are a number of ways to determine which end of the line is more upwind. One of the simplest of most common is to shoot the wind or to head to wind in the middle of the line. Once your boom is amidships look to see which end of the line is closer to where your bow is pointing. Another common method is to sail the length of the line starting at the committee boat end and have the sails trimmed perfectly. Once at the pin end, gybe, and with the sails trimmed exactly the same sail back toward the committee boat. If your sails luff the committee boat end is favored; if they are over-trimmed the pin end is favored. A more accurate way is to take a bearing on the wind direction and get a reciprocal bearings on the start line. With simple geometry you can figure which end is more upwind, and by how much.

Once you have gathered enough information to come up with a strategy, you then need to fight to implement it. It’s no use deciding that the committee boat end is where you want to be but find yourself shut out when the start gun fires. You have to be proactive in choosing your spot. You also have to be realistic. If you are on a packed line with the current reigning world champion or a boat that you know is faster, it would be foolish to pick a spot on the line immediately to windward of them. Chances are you they will outgun and possibly unnerve you. Instead pick a spot to windward of a boat you know you can beat. Once you have sailed over the top of them you will have plenty of room to leeward where you can foot off and accelerate. It’s this room to leeward that is critical and it’s important to create a space for yourself where you can accelerate to full speed as soon as the gun goes without worrying that someone is going to pinch you off forcing an unwanted tack.

Sometimes taking a few transoms is a worthwhile trade if you are convinced that the right hand side of the race course is going to pay off.

Boat speed when the gun fires is also critically important. You want to hit the line sailing at full speed the second the gun goes off. How you approach the line, how you burn off speed and how long it takes to accelerate all depend on the kind of boat you are sailing and how much wind there is. Only time in the boat and time on the water will give you a good feel for these factors, but once you are comfortable with the way your boat performs come up with a strategy. Figure out where you want to start, fight to get that place, fight to keep it and in the final few seconds before the gun goes get the boat up to speed with some room to leeward for acceleration and you’ll come away a winner. Certain boats always seem to pop off the start line first. Next time you line up in a juiced-up fleet remember these few simple points and you will soon be joining the lead pack, giving you the opportunity to control the windward leg from the front of the fleet rather than trying to implement your game plan with a half dozen boats gassing you with their dirty air.