And they’re off. Victory and defeat are often measured in fractions of boat lengths, making mark roundings critical.

The windward mark is one area of the race course with big potential gains and losses. It’s critical to start thinking about how you plan to round the mark long before you actually get within range. Most gains and losses are made long before the actual mark rounding as some boats are forced into extra tacks on their final approach to the mark. Others sail in dirty wind for too long, and some of the competition will also end up sailing extra distance by over-standing the layline.

As with all aspects of a race, planning, strategy, and an eye on the big picture is important if you are to emerge a winner. There are two key areas to successful mark roundings; tactics and your overall race strategy. Tactics are how you plan to deal with your nearest competitors as you get into the thick of things at the mark, and strategy is the long view of how you are sailing the entire race. For example, before you get to any mark be sure to locate the next mark. Know the compass course and wind angles for the next leg so that the foredeck crew can get set up and prepared for the rounding. Marks have an uncanny knack of creeping up on you quicker than think so unless you are locked in a tight battle to establish or break an overlap and need to put off preparing for the next leg as long as possible, it’s wise to get set up early. That way the foredeck can deal with any problems that arise without the added pressure of an imminent rounding.

As you approach the windward mark keep your head out of the boat and keep an eye on more than just your closest competition. Watch for any last minute wind shifts that may foil your plans, note how the boats ahead of you are rounding the mark and understand that you are racing the whole fleet not just the boats immediately alongside you. Many times boats will be locked in a tight battle only to leave a wide gap at the mark perfect for the boats behind to sail through and jump ahead. It’s also important to round each mark as close to the mark as possible. It’s not uncommon to see sailors give away a few hard-earned boat lengths as they leave a wide berth between themselves and the mark. In light wind it’s especially important to round the mark within "touching distance." On the other hand, if there is a lot of chop or current and the mark is bouncing around a bit it may be wise to leave a respectable gap between yourself and the buoy.

A final part of your overall strategy is how you actually round the mark. You want to accelerate onto the downwind leg with as much speed as possible and not slow the boat by overusing the rudder. Turn your boat using the sails rather than the helm. As you bear away at the windward mark be sure that the mainsail is eased quickly so that the boat is not heeling excessively as you start to turn. Keep the flow attached to the rudder. As you round, be smooth in your movements with the crew weight on the rail for as long as possible. This is especially important in strong winds.

Mark rounding tactics are also critical. The first time you round the windward mark is the most important of the race. The fleet is still bunched and some clever tactics on your part can jump you ahead of the competition. Your plan of attack will be different from future roundings as the race, and the series will have played itself out your goals will have changed. For example, if you are at the first mark rounding of the first race of a series it’s wise to sail conservatively; you have plenty of racecourse left to make up ground on the competition. On the other hand if it’s the last mark of the last race and you need to jump a few places to remain on the podium, some risk taking may be necessary.

In all cases be aware of your rights as you enter the two boat length zone. Rule 18, Rounding and Passing Marks and Obstructions comes into play and things can get very tricky. If you plan to round the mark conservatively there are a number of things you should avoid. Don’t get yourself into a position where you have to tack within the two boat-length zone, don’t try and shave a little distance by tacking before the layline and don’t hoist your spinnaker until you are past the mark. You may want to overstand the mark slightly to avoid pinching at the end and you will probably do better to hoist the chute in a controlled manner rather than in a mad scramble as you bear away. Later in the race, if you desperately need to take a few chances, you can ignore these points but at the first windward mark they are important.

The key to a successful mark rounding is early preparation.

Your skill as a tactician can really be put to good use once you get into the tight racing at the windward mark and there are number of strategies you can employ to strengthen your hand. First avoid sailing on the layline for a long time. While this may seem counter intuitive, the disadvantages of staying on the layline outweigh the advantages. The longer you are on the layline the more likely it will be for the wind to shift one way or the other-- both will disadvantage you. If the wind lifts you will end up having sailed more distance than you needed to. If the wind heads you may have to pinch or tack. Boats approaching the windward mark will often sail beyond the layline leaving you in their bad air and choppy wake. On the other hand if your foredeck is inexperienced they may need the extra time to get set up for the rounding, so you need to balance this against the other points raised. As you approach the mark keep an eye out for port tack boats. It’s likely that they will tack to leeward and if they have sufficient speed they may force you to tack away, or at least lose momentum as you pinch up.

You can be proactive with these boats. As they get closer sail a slightly lower course. This will give you a boat speed boost which you can use later to get back up to the layline, but mostly it changes the angle between you and the port tack boat. This will cause them to either duck behind you or tack sooner than they otherwise would have leaving some distance between your boat and theirs as both boats come back onto the wind. You can also use the extra speed to roll over the top of them. If you are approaching the mark slightly above the layline with a boat to leeward, don’t just keep in your lane all the way to the mark. Ideally, you would like some distance between yourself and that boat once around the mark so that you won’t be stuck in their wind shadow. Ease your sheets and sail down over the top of the boat to leeward gassing them with your sails. So long as you keep clear of them there are no restrictions on sailing below your proper course while you are both still on a beat.

Mark roundings in traffic test a crew’s mettle, as well as a skipper’s knowledge of the rules.

Finally, and this tactic should not be used at the crowded first windward mark rounding, there is the port tack approach. There are often gaps to be found in a fleet approaching the windward mark on starboard. If you break from the fleet and sail to the port layline you will likely be able to sail faster than most of your competition as you will not be dealing with bad air and choppy water. As they scramble for position on the starboard layline, you will be able to look out for a gap where you can tack near or right at the mark. It’s likely that you will have made up some distance and a worst case scenario is that you will find the gap you left in the bunch when you parted company with them. Often, however, you will find enough room right at the mark to squeeze into and so long as you do not infringe on another competitor you may gain three or four places. It’s tricky, but not impossible.

Each mark rounding is a learning experience especially among the same fleet. Some sailors are more aggressive while others prefer to sail conservatively. As you approach other marks of the course draw on your memory to recall how each skipper races his boat. Take chances with the wary but be aware of the aggressive. Mark roundings are where you can gain or lose. With a little skill and practice you’re likely to view each rounding as a way to gain some places.