So we had phrf race last week. We typically have a good size starting line, and approx 12 boats total. in spin and non spin. The windward mark about 1 mile away that we can see from the start line. Winds 5-10, with 15° shift. So times on on the right side of the course and sometimes not. Is there an easy way, or rule of thumb for deciding the correct side? Without GPS. Thanks for any assistance. And how much off course do you ride the shift before you tack? The shifts are not usually persistent and may last for 5 mins or so.
Favored side of the race course
- Thread starter oday630
- Start date
Any shift before the start will favor one side of the start line. Take a wind direction reading by going nose to wind. Then sail straight down the line. If the angle difference between wind angle and your course is less than 90 degrees, you are sailing toward the favored end. 90 means its square. More and that's the bad end.
If the line is less than 5 degrees off-square, just go for a good start; on time and full speed, heading in the right direction with good air.
After the start, a permanent shift means just sail the longer leg first. Oscillating shifts are where you make your money. Learn your mean wind direction; tack in knocks of more than say 7 degrees. That will give you a 7 degree lift. Then wait until you get knocked 14 (7 below the mean again) before you go back.
If the line is less than 5 degrees off-square, just go for a good start; on time and full speed, heading in the right direction with good air.
After the start, a permanent shift means just sail the longer leg first. Oscillating shifts are where you make your money. Learn your mean wind direction; tack in knocks of more than say 7 degrees. That will give you a 7 degree lift. Then wait until you get knocked 14 (7 below the mean again) before you go back.
I will remember the 7° during shifts. That's the info I'm looking for. I was reading something about trying to keep the windward mark between the bow and shrouds. That would keep me in the middle of the course. Without GPS and knowing vmg I tend to bang the edges of the course. And end up giving up distance and time. I do have a cruiser with big genoa and my tacks are slow, so I try to do less tacks. Probably a bad strategy.
You are right; once you get to the laylines your options are very limited. Often you end up overstood as the breeze shifts back. Playing the middle makes sense when you have lots of shifts and the breeze is even across the course. If there is a big difference on where there is wind, often it is faster to sail in the breeze, no matter what.
The 7 degrees is a good place to start. As you race more you can tack sooner to get into the lift. But remember tacks are slow on your boat, so sometimes it is better to honor the knock and just sail fast.
As driver, ALWAYS know your current course, and its relation to the mean wind direction. Sail well to the telltails, as you can only know if your are lifted or knocked if you are consistently sailing close hauled. Do that and you will start kicking butt.
The 7 degrees is a good place to start. As you race more you can tack sooner to get into the lift. But remember tacks are slow on your boat, so sometimes it is better to honor the knock and just sail fast.
As driver, ALWAYS know your current course, and its relation to the mean wind direction. Sail well to the telltails, as you can only know if your are lifted or knocked if you are consistently sailing close hauled. Do that and you will start kicking butt.
Good advice from Jackdaw. You can check the flag on the pin or committee boat. It will point towards the favored end... that said, you are looking primarily for clean air and a full speed start... so beware of getting mixed up with a crowd of boats at the favored end... going for the middle at full speed, especially for a heavier, less maneuverable keel boat, may be the better strategy.
As jackdaw mentioned, going directly to the layline in a oscillating breeze limits your options. If you go to the layline and get lifted, you've gone too far. If you get knocked, you must sail on with a diminished vmg, or make two additional tacks, to fetch the mark.
Besides wind shifts, try to determine if the current affects the course.
Finally, I highly recommend Tom Whidden and Gary Jobson's "Championship Tactics" to sharpen your racing skills. An older guide, it was written with boats of our genre in mind.
As jackdaw mentioned, going directly to the layline in a oscillating breeze limits your options. If you go to the layline and get lifted, you've gone too far. If you get knocked, you must sail on with a diminished vmg, or make two additional tacks, to fetch the mark.
Besides wind shifts, try to determine if the current affects the course.
Finally, I highly recommend Tom Whidden and Gary Jobson's "Championship Tactics" to sharpen your racing skills. An older guide, it was written with boats of our genre in mind.
This is a true story that happened in San Diego. I raced at the C30 National events with a skipper named Max Munger (he's the sec't of the C30 national association). We were a crew from all over the US that raced C30 clubs at their national event.
Max could smell the favored side of the start line -- I never figuered out how he did it and I doubted him more than once. I did my best to explain it in my book - at one race in LA he sailed so far from the start line that I told him it's a local race not Long Beach to Dana Point.
Anyway, back to San Diego. He told me "it's the set of the line relative to the wind that determines the favored end and the pin location has nothing to do with it especially when the wind is over 8 knots because in those conditions the line is rarely square to the wind -- OK if you say so!!". He was very excited at this race and told me to watch this start as he estimated the pin end was favored by 20 degress, which he figured was a 10 boat lenght advantage with a persistent lift with a port tack -- yeah, for sure!! He hit that line full speed with a 300' lead and we never looked back. It was an easy win in the crappiest boat the YC could find for us -- fortunately we brough our own stuff -- boom vang ect. We had to tape the jib together and it failed completley after the last race.
Those were great times and I miss them.
Max could smell the favored side of the start line -- I never figuered out how he did it and I doubted him more than once. I did my best to explain it in my book - at one race in LA he sailed so far from the start line that I told him it's a local race not Long Beach to Dana Point.
Anyway, back to San Diego. He told me "it's the set of the line relative to the wind that determines the favored end and the pin location has nothing to do with it especially when the wind is over 8 knots because in those conditions the line is rarely square to the wind -- OK if you say so!!". He was very excited at this race and told me to watch this start as he estimated the pin end was favored by 20 degress, which he figured was a 10 boat lenght advantage with a persistent lift with a port tack -- yeah, for sure!! He hit that line full speed with a 300' lead and we never looked back. It was an easy win in the crappiest boat the YC could find for us -- fortunately we brough our own stuff -- boom vang ect. We had to tape the jib together and it failed completley after the last race.
Those were great times and I miss them.
Don,
I'm not sure I follow this... the pin location SETS the line, so how could it not have anything to do with the line's bearing relative to the wind?
Maybe he meant the windward mark's location not having anything to do with favored end; that certainly is true.
jack, I think Don's (and Max's) emphasis was on the "because in those conditions the line is rarely square to the wind..." part. That's been our experience here, too. Examples:
1. The Golden Gate Yacht Club's start line is from their race deck to a buoy, always the same line!
2. With committee boats and pins, they usually set up well before the summer wind fills in, so they're guessing.
3. We use nav buoys as turning marks (except for the first upwind one Blackhaller from the GGYC) and they are almost never in the middle of any upwind leg from the start.
1. The Golden Gate Yacht Club's start line is from their race deck to a buoy, always the same line!
2. With committee boats and pins, they usually set up well before the summer wind fills in, so they're guessing.
3. We use nav buoys as turning marks (except for the first upwind one Blackhaller from the GGYC) and they are almost never in the middle of any upwind leg from the start.
Stu, Yea I get that... lines often not square. But then it seems such a non-point that it's hardly worth mentioning. I thought I was missing some big insight! ;^)
Thanks Stu. Jackdaw: The point of the story was Max is the best guy off the starting line I've ever sailed with. Rarely were we second across the line. It may be a "non point and not a big insight" but it sure impressed the hell out of me but I'm just a common seaman and country boy. Max is not only good off the line but everywhere else on the course. The worse we ever did in all the years I sailed with him was 2nd and in many races 2nd was less than a boat lenght AND that was on the crapiest boat the race committee could find for us.
Actually, I don't even like general racing as I think 50% of the racers are pains in the ass. I do enjoy match racing and that's why I got so much enjoyment out of the Catalina 30 National events. The best one was Santa Cruz, Ca in 45 knots of wind. Our bow was across from their mast and you could have walked across each boat at the finish line. I wrote an article about that race for the Catalina Mainsheet Magazine. The title was "who are those guys" (from Butch Casissidy and the Sundance Kid) because we thought we had the race wrapped up and they came out of nowhere. Second best was San Diego because I like the city and the hospitality of the Coronado YC but it's too expensive to live there -- right Joe from San Diego!!
Stu: didn't you have a C30 at one time and did you ever run into Max Munger?
Actually, I don't even like general racing as I think 50% of the racers are pains in the ass. I do enjoy match racing and that's why I got so much enjoyment out of the Catalina 30 National events. The best one was Santa Cruz, Ca in 45 knots of wind. Our bow was across from their mast and you could have walked across each boat at the finish line. I wrote an article about that race for the Catalina Mainsheet Magazine. The title was "who are those guys" (from Butch Casissidy and the Sundance Kid) because we thought we had the race wrapped up and they came out of nowhere. Second best was San Diego because I like the city and the hospitality of the Coronado YC but it's too expensive to live there -- right Joe from San Diego!!
Stu: didn't you have a C30 at one time and did you ever run into Max Munger?
To the OP, if you are racing in an area with current, you will want to pay attention to that as well. The rules for current causing one side of the course to be favored are the same for as for the wind. So if the current is flowing form left to right along the course, the left side is favored. If there is a lot of wind, then the current is less of a factor, unless you are racing in a river with a lot of current. If wind is light, then current is more of a factor.
Choosing to follow the wind vs. current comes in to play when the wind is telling you one side is favored but the current tells you the other side is favored. If it's big wind, go with that, if the wind is light, follow the current. Sometimes when both are moderate you have to just take Lord Nelson's advice and say "Damn the tactics, go right at them" which roughly translates to "Go fast" in modern boat racing.
Choosing to follow the wind vs. current comes in to play when the wind is telling you one side is favored but the current tells you the other side is favored. If it's big wind, go with that, if the wind is light, follow the current. Sometimes when both are moderate you have to just take Lord Nelson's advice and say "Damn the tactics, go right at them" which roughly translates to "Go fast" in modern boat racing.
Don, nope, we went: C22 (2-3 years), C25 (12 years), then our C34 in 1998. "Skipped" the C30 "stage" although we did look at them for a while.
I only knew Max from his great contributions in Mainsheet magazine.
Great advice thanks to everyone. Let me think this through. The start line and the start has little to do with the location of the windward mark. My goal at the start should be to be at the line full speed, in clear wind, and not late. And close to the favored end. Once on the course, then focus on the windward mark and favored side of the course. I guess I would need to watch the weather and practice an hour or so before the race to get a feel of the course and wind shifts.
Out of Freeport, we race in the open GOM from navigation buoys to oil platforms and back to a bouy. The start line goes from a nav buoy to a spot on shore. But usually the buoy is the favored end of the line.
One race we were headed to the second mark upwind and tacked back and forth across the same patch of water for about an hour. It was a counter current eddy and the second we punched out of it you could tell by the change in the track direction. This was a moderate winds day but the eddy was strong enough to stop the fleet.
Our racing is the fun kind. I've been first across the line three times now but the timekeeper is sailing a Cal 29 and he keeps correcting out over me. hmmm, maybe I need to get the electric motor running again? LOL
One race we were headed to the second mark upwind and tacked back and forth across the same patch of water for about an hour. It was a counter current eddy and the second we punched out of it you could tell by the change in the track direction. This was a moderate winds day but the eddy was strong enough to stop the fleet.
Our racing is the fun kind. I've been first across the line three times now but the timekeeper is sailing a Cal 29 and he keeps correcting out over me. hmmm, maybe I need to get the electric motor running again? LOL
Velocity Variable
Remember, a change in the apparent wind direction does not mean that the true wind direction has changed. You need wind and knot meter to figure out if it is a velocity shift vs. a true directional shift.
Remember, a change in the apparent wind direction does not mean that the true wind direction has changed. You need wind and knot meter to figure out if it is a velocity shift vs. a true directional shift.
Good summary, Oday630.
When setting the starting line, the race committee (RC) will try and give a "fair" start line. If using permanent marks, like buoys, the windward mark is not going to be able to move (obviously), so the starting line has to be tweaked. The line being perpendicular to the wind is the ideal. However, if the windward mark is extremely to one side or the other of that perpendicular line, the PRO (Principal Race Officer) may choose to slant the line slightly towards the mark to make the favored side "less" favored. If one side of the line is heavily favored, too many boats load up there and can cause confusion and interfere with the goal of a "fair" start. In this sense, the position of the mark does come into play both in the setting of the line, and the tactics used. If the RC has done it's job correctly, going fast in clean air is the highest priority. If pin position becomes the highest priority, the RC has not done as good a job as they want.
When the RC is using temporary marks, they can direct the setting of that mark to a perpendicular to the start line. It makes it a lot easier. However, as pointed out earlier, the wind seldom blows from a consistent direction. Most PROs get out to the starting area early to observe conditions, use technology to anticipate wind shifts, and rely on local knowledge to help plan for a proper line. Prior to the start sequence, the committee can change the line position, or the windward mark. Once the sequence starts, however, this cannot be done without a postponement signal. (Postponement is a PRO's best friend!) With multiple starts, it becomes even harder to get a good line. The PRO dosn't want to delay races. Add to that the starts for second (or more) races and as the day goes on, the favored end can become more and more important from a tactical point of view. But still, speed is king. Fighting it out for a favored end while leaving big holes for someone else to blast through ... well, you can see where that can go.
People on race committees are very concerned with running a good race. Starting line, courses, signals, OCS (on course side) calls, accurate timing, boat identification ... wow, the list goes on. Setting a good starting line really matters for a good race, but eithor way, thank the race committee for taking on a really big job.
When setting the starting line, the race committee (RC) will try and give a "fair" start line. If using permanent marks, like buoys, the windward mark is not going to be able to move (obviously), so the starting line has to be tweaked. The line being perpendicular to the wind is the ideal. However, if the windward mark is extremely to one side or the other of that perpendicular line, the PRO (Principal Race Officer) may choose to slant the line slightly towards the mark to make the favored side "less" favored. If one side of the line is heavily favored, too many boats load up there and can cause confusion and interfere with the goal of a "fair" start. In this sense, the position of the mark does come into play both in the setting of the line, and the tactics used. If the RC has done it's job correctly, going fast in clean air is the highest priority. If pin position becomes the highest priority, the RC has not done as good a job as they want.
When the RC is using temporary marks, they can direct the setting of that mark to a perpendicular to the start line. It makes it a lot easier. However, as pointed out earlier, the wind seldom blows from a consistent direction. Most PROs get out to the starting area early to observe conditions, use technology to anticipate wind shifts, and rely on local knowledge to help plan for a proper line. Prior to the start sequence, the committee can change the line position, or the windward mark. Once the sequence starts, however, this cannot be done without a postponement signal. (Postponement is a PRO's best friend!) With multiple starts, it becomes even harder to get a good line. The PRO dosn't want to delay races. Add to that the starts for second (or more) races and as the day goes on, the favored end can become more and more important from a tactical point of view. But still, speed is king. Fighting it out for a favored end while leaving big holes for someone else to blast through ... well, you can see where that can go.
People on race committees are very concerned with running a good race. Starting line, courses, signals, OCS (on course side) calls, accurate timing, boat identification ... wow, the list goes on. Setting a good starting line really matters for a good race, but eithor way, thank the race committee for taking on a really big job.
I wouldn't really put it that way... When the marks are fixed nav aids.... the dynamic changes... but in general the race committee will strive to set the start perpendicular to the wind and the mark. Otherwise it sounds like you're off to a good start (heh, heh... sorry about the pun)...
Why don't you scan through this link for a more complete dissertation on the start:
http://www.teameclipseracing.org/forms/Performance Racing Tactics starting tactics.pdf
Here's some more advice, this time for the upwind leg after the start: http://www.sailingbreezes.com/Saili.../Rule-of-Thumb-Sail-the-longer-tack-first.htm
oday630,
Joe's right. The favored side of the course can change during the race, so don't get ahead of yourself by projecting the favored start "because of the line setup" with the rest of the curse and the mark location and wind direction(s).
BTW, Don's book has an EXCELLENT pre-race start WHOLE CHAPTER.
It's an extremely well written book.
Joe's right. The favored side of the course can change during the race, so don't get ahead of yourself by projecting the favored start "because of the line setup" with the rest of the curse and the mark location and wind direction(s).
BTW, Don's book has an EXCELLENT pre-race start WHOLE CHAPTER.
It's an extremely well written book.
I would encourage anyone who races to spend some time on the committee boat. You will learn how the committee makes decisions and eventually you will be able to anticipate those decisions when you are racing.
You will also learn to take your own finishing time when you realize the people doing that on the committee boat may be distracted or simply mistaken.
You will also learn to take your own finishing time when you realize the people doing that on the committee boat may be distracted or simply mistaken.
That's why you don't watch the mast head fly for tactics... the apparent wind indicator and tell tales will give you sail trim information.... but it's best to monitor your compass to detect wind shifts. Your true wind direction will be the average of your starboard and port close hauled compass headings. This is the essential function of a tactical compass such as the tacktick..it memorizes the previous headings and displays them as wind shifts.
However, you can race quite effectively without an $800 digital compass if you have paper and pen. When sailing close hauled you should be logging the course headings on every tack.... then those heading changes will indicate your wind shifts.... so, say you're on starboard at 270, then you tack over to port and you're at 360. That means your true wind is at 315.
Now, during the next starboard leg you notice your course is 280. That's a 10 deg lift.... stay on that tack... the true wind direction has veered to the right, it's now 325, giving you a lift to the mark. However, the lay line has shifted also..... which means.... if you were on port when the wind shifted, your course would read 010, a header or knock, and you must decide whether to tack and ride the lift, or sail on to the adjusted lay line...... Simple, right...heh, heh.... It's what make racing so interesting.... and frustrating you should make one choice and mother nature makes another....