Tactics question and hopefully it doesn't seem too obvious. Clay, it appears that you set a course on starboard to run just inside the committee boat and had your timing nailed to arrive at the line just after the starting horn. Assuming you were pointing as high as possible, the only risk (other than being early) would be boats on/near the line you would be overtaking as anyone else would be windward, is this correct? We commonly have a few boats who hang around to windward and above the line behind the committee boat and then duck around the boat at the start and this would seem to be the best way to deal with that. Do I have your tactics and reasoning correct?
Follow up, what if there are several boats dawdling there just leeward of the boat which you would be overtaking as you arrive at the line. I see that with speed you have no problem going around them assuming there is room between them but we seem to have everybody crammed in a little space there with no assurance that I will have room, or the ability to fall off and go around to leeward of them.
Sorry if this is too simplistic a discussion of tactics, but I haven't figured it out yet and it always seems the boat end is favoured.
Dan
Hey
@danstanford ,
I'll try and add specif answers to your questions. Please read my old post first for background.
The first thing to remember is that in ANY time boats meet, Section 2 says one of them ALWAYS has right of way, and the other need to keep clear. So any boat in front of you while you made your way up is clear ahead, but once your bow overlaps their transom than can can switch.
One Design or match racing boats can stop as a group near the line. Called a 'dial up' this is very rare in handicap racing. Stopping at the line puts you a big risk. So, you are ether early, on time, or late. And boat 'stalled' in front of me is in trouble. If they stay there I'll either drive over the top of them, or 'hook' them from below. Before that start there is no proper coarse, and Rule 17 is off. That means if you get your nose below a boat at the start they are in big trouble. You can turn them straight to windward, then fall off.
A big part of this is being comfortable with the rules, and being close enough to other boats to enforce your rights. You might have rights, but if the other boat does not restrict you, they have not broken a rule.
So finally, any boat to windward of that layline or who is early is at risk. I tell new racers to simply focus on getting to the line 1) On time 2) With Speed 3) Clear Air. Do that and you're doing well. The next level is doing that
were you want to, to position yourself on the course based on your strategy.