When to tack

[NCBrew]

As I head for the Winward mark I usually take one tack and stay on that until the mark is just past the beam and then tack and I can then make the mark. Others tell me not to do that because if the wind shifts I can be in bad shape and it is better to make a couple of tacks.

 

[Davidasailor26]

The others are, generally, correct. What you’re doing is sailing all the way to lay line then tacking there to follow the layline all the way to the mark. The problem with that is it basically gives you no tactical options for gain, and only the possibility of losses. If you’re on a long approach along the layline and get a lift you can’t take advantage of that lift - you’re already fetching the mark so pointing any higher would just be extra distance. If the lift sustains all the way until you get to the mark it means you had overstood and sailed too far. If you’re on the layline and get a header you can’t really tack onto the lifted tack because you’re already so far to that side of the course. It’s also very hard to accurately judge the layline from so far away. You’re liable to go too far and over stand, sailing extra distance, or tack to soon and approach the mark too low, being forced to make two extra tacks in close to the mark when there could be lots of traffic and limited room.

Generally speaking being in the middle of the course is much better for giving you tactical options to gain. You have space to tack out of headers and into lifts. It also means you’ll be jumping on the layline relatively close to the mark, so you can judge it pretty well. You also have room to work if a boat gets on your air and you need to tack away.

The downside of staying in the middle is it takes more tacks. Your current approach takes 1 tack. Staying in the middle could take an infinite number if taken to the limit. The important part is finding the balance between the distance lost in tacks and having the extra options. If the winds are steady and light, the fleet is big, and your boat doesn’t tack well it might be better to take less tacks and get to the layline earlier. In a sparser fleet, heavier winds, more shifts, or a more maneuverable boat tacking on each shift and staying inside the laylines until very close to the mark is likely favored.

 

[jssailem]

staying inside the laylines until very close to the mark is likely favored.

This is a generally true statement. It is also the reason committed racers go out and practice tacking to make it as smooth a process as is possible.

The only challenge is that some times one or the other side of the course is favored. Be it tidal currents, land masses that rocked lift, etc. As you develop your race strategy be aware of the course and it’s surroundings, choosing the optimum tactical route that gives your boat and crew the best opportunity.

 

[shemandr]

It is a very good question.
If the wind is shifting, and it almost always is, then you want to be sailing on the lifted tack. You can use electronics or your compass to tell you when you are lifted or knocked. The boats that do the best at being on the lifted tack most of the time will be in the front of the fleet.
As usual there are exceptions. If the course includes areas with a geographical shifts, then you may sail into a knock to reach an anticipated lift. The same can be true for a persistent shift such as a sea breeze developing or a front moving across the course.
Combining the wind with the tactical situations complicates the decision. Boat on boat you want to be crossing on starboard tack (although I think a little duck is better than tacking out of a lift). Or you may see that the other side of the course has more wind and that you need to get to that side. And of course you can't sail in dirty air - it is deadly.
Some decisions depend on the boat. A boat that tacks poorly should tack less than a nimble tacker. It could be better to live in a mild knock than slowing the boat for a tack. There is the tactic of covering your competition, but if that means getting into a tacking duel, the slower tacker will lose (And both boats will lose to the fleet).
So there's a lot that goes into a decision to tack. That question is what makes racing upwind so interesting.

 

[PaulK]

Dr. Stuart Walker, an expert Soling racer along with other classes, wrote a number of books about "when to tack". Most of them are about 300 pages long. As outlined in the posts above, he explores headers, lifts, persistant shifts, different breezes and everything in between and beyond. As shemandr suggests, there's a lot that goes into the decision to tack. Winter would be a good time to pick up a book or two.

 

[shemandr]

I didn’t mention current. It can be a major influence in areas that experience it.
All in all, I think a sense of which parameter takes precedence in a given situation is good sailing. Knowing when to switch precedence is great sailing.
Stuart Walker is a wealth of information about wind, current, tactics - maybe the best. You need to practice reading his works to learn how to draw information out of them. Then repeat. It would take a long time to absorb all of his lessons.

 

[jssailem]

SI did and article about Dr. Stuart Walker... It starts:

He is sailing on the Severn River near Annapolis. The water is very cold. The wind is very cold. Stuart Walker is very cold. He has his feet hooked under a toe strap so that he can sit outside the boat. The boat is wet. Stuart Walker's seat is wet. His stomach muscles hurt. His face is freezing. His fingers are stiff. Stuart Walker is very happy. The crewmen are not happy. They would like to go ashore and have a nice warm jolt of rum. The skipper will not let them go ashore. He will sail until he has extracted all the day can give in wind and wave, for he is the dilly-down-daffiest small-boat skipper in all the world.​

 

[dlochner]

A contrarian opinion here. Walker is the epitome of OCD when it comes to sailing. Yes, he has well documented the innumerable nuances of sail trim, rig tuning, and strategies, however, trying to learn from his writing is a challenge off putting to most causal racers. Putting his books on the shelf as a reference, to consult after an unfortunate day on the race course has value, but as tomes to learn from, they fall far short of ideal.

If you can find a copy of "Winning in One Designs" by Dave Perry you will be well served. Perry has a knack for explaining what needs to be done to sail fast in terms that a novice sailor can understand.

The best sailors sail almost by intuition, they just seem to know what to do and when to do it. That ability does not come from books, it comes from time on the race course and tutelage by a more experienced competitor. It comes from "racing" any sailboat nearby. And it comes from practice and experimenting with good feedback from instruments or another similar boat with a more skilled skipper.

Most importantly, sail a lot, ask questions, listen to more experienced competitors.

 

[Dogswater]

Ha! Stuart Walker is not for those with a short attention span or only a passing interest in racing. He is, however, one of the old masters. On teh other hand, Dave Perry's book mentioned above is a modern classic.
When to tack...
Here are some basic guidelines for club-level keelboat racing:

1. Avoid tacking unless you have a good reason.
2. Avoid Long Laylines.
3. Tack to the favored Side of the Course (More wind, beneficial current)
4. Tack to clear your lane (Only if not tacking would mean sailing in disturbed air for a significant portion of the leg)
5. Tack on significant headers.
6. Avoid tacking unless you have a good reason.

 

[Drinky Crow]

In the '90's I subscribed to Dave Dellenbaugh's "Speed and Smarts" newsletters which were very helpful to me as a novice racer, having started out racing a small keelboat without having raced dinghies prior.
Just checking, he's phased out the newsletter but offering webinars which may be helpful to some.
Me for instance.

 

[Dogswater]

In the '90's I subscribed to Dave Dellenbaugh's "Speed and Smarts" newsletters which were very helpful to me as a novice racer, having started out racing a small keelboat without having raced dinghies prior.
Just checking, he's phased out the newsletter but offering webinars which may be helpful to some.
Me for instance.

Yeah! I still have binders full of those S&S docs. Learned a lot from them.

 

[Davidasailor26]

In the '90's I subscribed to Dave Dellenbaugh's "Speed and Smarts" newsletters which were very helpful to me as a novice racer, having started out racing a small keelboat without having raced dinghies prior.
Just checking, he's phased out the newsletter but offering webinars which may be helpful to some.
Me for instance.

I agree - his webinars are very informative. And members of Chesapeake Bay Yacht Racing Association get free access to them.