My First Race

[DayDreamer41]

Tomorrow I will be attempting my first race, I am worried about the business of the start, I have worked the committee boat a couple of time I have crewed on other boats a couple of times and I thought now is my turn to take a wack at sailboat racing. The race is approximately 15.5 miles to the finish mark on Saturday and Sunday we race back after an overnight stay.

I am excited and nervous all at the same time, like I stated the start seems to me to be both critical and congested all those boats circling the start line attempting to gain the start line advantage is the one thing that has be nervous.

My plan is to hit the line on a starboard tack roughly 5-10 seconds late, I just don't want to be in the pack.
Any words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated
Mark

 

[pateco]

Have Fun

 

[Parsons]

I did this recently on my cruising boat. I've crewed on racing boats before, but it's very different when you put your baby on the line. My attitude as crew is, "I ain't got a nickle in her - charge that line, skip!" -- not so when it's your own gelcoat at risk. I found several things very helpful. First, I had the skipper of my normal boat (a few decades of experience) right next to me at the helm coaching me on approaches and strategy. If it's possible to get another experienced skipper for the first ride, it really helps. Second, for my first time I took an "I don't care about winning" attitude. I'm in it for fun, not to win a flag.

Lastly, like you I had plans of being late to the line to avoid the people who really cared about winning something. This was a long weekend race (36 NM), so I knew that even a minute late would be averaged over a long race. On a three-mile buoy race, being right there at the starting gun can make a difference of a few places. In 15 miles, you have hours to make it up. As it was, with the coaching and testosterone at the beginning, we crossed the starting line in the pack. A good strategy is to pick out another boat with an experienced skipper and just follow them for the last five minutes of the prep time. We ended up the race near the back of the fleet, but an extra 5 minutes (!) at the start would not have made one place of difference.

 

[dlochner]

What Pateco said! Keep the fun meter high for yourself and your crew.

You are smart about staying out of the fray at the start. The aggressive sailors will be all over you and screaming. Over time work on becoming a little more aggressive at the start. With practice and experience you too can be on the line at the gun.

Take some time understand the rules at mark roundings. They can get congested and a little nuts.

Good luck, have fun.

 

[DayDreamer41]

Thanks for the reassurance, the number one thing on this trip is the fun meter level kept high, there are no marks to round on the outbound on Saturday and only (1) on the return on Sunday, but given the vid's I have watched I fully understand the congestion that happen at the marks as well. There is nothing like 20K pounds of boat arguing for the same spot in the water I am sure. I have registered in the JAM Cruising class to I will not have the spinnaker to deal with although Sunday it appears that may be exactly what I will need to finish in some kind of reasonable time. Saturday looks awesome for both wind speed and direction blowing from the West at up to 18 with a North bound course, the Hunter loves to reach!

 

[JRacer]

First, have fun. Yes, starts can get a bit "sporty" at times. Big boat like yours, you might consider using a Vanderbilt Start. see here:http://www.sailorspeak.com/2011/10/28/vanderbilt-start/
and here:

And remember to keep your lee side open (keep a hole to leeward) so that you don't get pushed up and over.

I will generally set a "mark" ( a GPS Waypoint) at the center of the start line and then set my GPS to "Go To" that point. That gives me a pretty good idea of the time I have to get to that point based on where my boat is located and what my speed is at the moment. It's not exact but gives you a general idea of whether you are early or late.

 

[Jackdaw]

What you always want is clear air.

Starts like this are hard because:
One hard core group will want to be on the line, at speed at the start and will be good enough to do it
The next group wanted that, but got boxed out at the boat and are now doing a 2nd row start
Then there are the boats (like you) that wanted a 2nd row start but now are dealing with group 2

Remember that any close leeward boat can go head to wind to protect their lane. So guard the open water to leeward. It both your escape route and your gas pedal.

So. I would lay a rung down below the hard core types with a 90-60 seconds to go. Look for a wide opening, and if you see it, go for that. Remember others might be looking to. After the start think about tacking to port to get in clear ASAP.

 

[DayDreamer41]

JRacer, the timed start is the tactic I was hoping to successfully execute you and Jack make great points on protecting the lee side for both escape, should be real interesting I have been studying the tactics now it time to execute the lessons. I am not sure how many boats will be in my class for the start I am hoping its only a few, that will definitely make things much easier.

Mark

 

[JRacer]

If you have the time and a relatively clear starting area before your sequence and assuming the wind is relatively constant, you can "practice" your run beforehand. This would give you the opportunity to know how long to allow for the turn, trimming and getting up to speed at the end of the run away from the line. And, if you do as I suggest and set a waypoint at the center of the line, you can make a note of the gps distance from that point at which to start your turning maneuver. Then when it's time you can repeat the process "for real" and will likely be in good shape going back to the line.

 

[JRacer]

Clear air and full speed at the line will gain you more than being precisely on time and slowed by traffic and the wall of sails. And in a race of a couple of hours length, being one minute late would only be 8 thousandths of the total length of the race! I'll take clear air and pulling stumps at the line over slow and on time!

 

[dlochner]

JRacer, the timed start is the tactic I was hoping to successfully execute

If you want to get serious about racing and join the hardcore fanatics, then practice the timed start. Go out and set a start line with a couple of Clorox bottles and practice starts. Have someone on the boat be the time keeper and call off the sequence. Do this a few hundred times in different conditions and you will be like a locomotive at speed hitting the starting line.

Writing his kind of reminds me of a Dead song, "Trouble ahead, trouble behind, Casey Jones you better watch your speed."

 

[JRacer]

And, let us know next week how it turns out. Have fun.

 

[pateco]

A good position at the favored end of the starting line is always good, but if you have a boat like mine and not Jackdaw's I would rather have clean air and boat speed. Coastal Cruisers can be competitive with a good handicap, but their not so good at mixing it up and pinching the line with J's, Melges, Hobie 25s, or other more sporty types.

 

[Davidasailor26]

Great advice already from many of the other posters. I'll echo the recommendations to have fun and not worry about timing the start just right in a race of that distance. My first races as skipper my target was just like Jackdaw said - somewhere behind the first line in a nice big opening. Sometimes I hit the target and sometimes I was many seconds later. It takes a lot of practice to learn how your boat accelerates and turns in close quarters with other traffic around, so if things feel like they're closing in on you don't be afraid to bail out and loop around behind more of the pack. You'll still have hours to make up the seconds you lose. Also remember that if it's windy you can be several boat lengths back and still very little time behind, so don't feel like you need to force yourself in a tight spot.

Remember that improving racing skills takes time and practice, and your first outing isn't going to be your best. Enjoy the process and talk with your crew about lessons learned. The start and every cross will seem to happen really fast, especially if you get the forecasted wind strength in the upper teens. As you get experience and your crew communication improves everything will be more natural, but it takes time to develop that. Just make sure everyone knows their responsibilities and can do them safely and you'll be fine.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Don Guilette's excellent Sail Trim Guide has a superb chapter on race start techniques. It is among the BEST I have ever read. It works!!! Available right here on this website.

To add: take notes asap about what worked AND WHAT DIDN'T. Lessons Learned.

Good luck, it's great fun.

 

[FastOlson]

The old advice about 'getting your head out of the boat' is as good as ever. Look ahead at where the leaders are going and also what the wind is doing in that direction. Do not allow your emotions to let you get into a close confrontation with another competitor and waste time in a luffing match just because it happens in books and movies...

I recall that the first time I raced our small OD keel boat in a nationals I and my partner chose to "follow" a known expert up the course (venue was all new to us, and quite a ways from our home waters). We learned much. In another race that day we thought we were sailing against another very good sailor and competing for a first... and then we got ahead and finished second... the actual leader had tacked (sneaked) away early and we missed him! Oh well, I recall that we placed fifth in the whole series, altho trophies only went to the first 4 boats.
Also, after the finish, ask your competitors about your sail trim and tactics. The Best sailors want (!) you to improve and challenge them!

Oh yeah, and do not hit anyone. Stay clear. Damned Few races are ever won from a protest jury. Give people room. Keep your air clear, like an expert here sez.

 

[DayDreamer41]

Well just as a followup had a great time on the weekend, first and second race are now behind me. As for starts I did successfully time the start to line to cross behind the group with race start #1 hitting the line (in clean air) 12 seconds behind the group and race #2 crossed 26 seconds behind the group in relatively clean air, the second start was bit more challenging as there was only a lee side to the start line, the windward side was a rock break-wall which forms the harbor we raced to on Saturday.

Saturday was a real sailors challenge, we sailed through (4) fronts all of which carried large down pours and strong winds the forth of which brought a complete shift in wind direction going from the start of the race with a close reach and finishing with a strong head wind of 20+ kt's and the seas kicked up with white caps atop of 2-3 ft seas really nothing to worry about but definitely changing the ride.

Between storm #2 & #3 we were caught in chains with no wind for over an hour, seems all the boats around us were moving except for us, I think the only thing propelling us was the flapping of the main as it gently rocked back and forth, the 3rd front to come through brought driving rain with winds up to 35 kt's for a brief period after which we were back to sailing on steady NNW winds of 12 gusting to 18.

Then here comes the 4th front bearing down on us with those ominous grey clouds leading the charge, and 10 minutes after letting out the main to 100%, we were reducing it back down to 50% (the smallest of the day). Something about those light grey clouds scare me, I had an experience not to long ago with that color on a front that laid the Sapphire on her side for about 45 seconds, something I did not want to repeat. We could see the boats ahead of us about a 1/2 mile leaned over to the extreme hence my application of conservative thought.

I am told we did not finish last on Saturday, but I have yet to see the results, I know one thing for sure working the helm on a beat all day in winds of 15 to 25 for most of it, mentally drains one, that and providing instruction on how to tack many many many many times to (2) complete green horns on the winches. Seems that it did not matter how I explained it for some reason or another one would not release fully causing the winch man on the other side extra work or the winch man didn't start soon enough and had to crank the sail in forever, but they did get better in Part #2 of this saga (Sunday's race back), adds validity to the ole adage, practice makes perfect.

Coming to the finish line on Saturday was a test we were approaching and at about 100 ft from the mark (I was trying to cut it as far away from the break wall as possible) but I lost it, the strong wind caught hold of the the back side of the jib and heave to it went, I tried to do a 360* turn (victory lap) but on straightening out I was just too far lee of the mark, I had to turn away, tack and take another approach, novice mistake I am sure, I wonder if I just let the jib go for that last 100 ft would I have made it..... probably not.

to be continued.................................

 

[JRacer]

Sounds productive and exciting. Every time we go out we had better learn something I say. Good work!

 

[Pat]

Chicken jibe....is that what I need to remember? How about a CD of the Brian Wilson ballads...cannot find in Wichita....although Barnes and Noble will order....was able to get all the Labor Day notices up today for Neptune,
dinner and fireworks.....Chicken jibe, eh?

 

[Sumner]

Nice report. Really liked it. When I got into this a few years back I subscribed to a sailing magazine and a lot of it was devoted to racing. I'd read and tried to study some of it but decided I'm much too old to learn all there is to learn about racing so let the subscription lapse.

I admire you for taking this on, enjoy,

Sumner
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1300 miles to The Bahamas and Back in the Mac...
Endeavour 37 Mods...
MacGregor 26-S Mods...
Mac Trips to Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Canada, Florida, Bahamas