RACING SCHEDULE & RESULTS

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Swiftsure-04

Basic Racing

By Chuck Skewes

When racing your boat there are a few things that are very important to understand before you leave the dock.

1. Know what start you are in and what area you are racing in. Many races held at Shilshole have two courses and multiple starts on each course. Knowing when you start will keep you from either being late for your start and ruining your race, or getting involved in the wrong start and risking disqualification or collision.

You can find this information out in the race instructions and the notice board at the yacht club that is hosting the race. Be sure to read them well in advance.

2. Know the time sequence of the starts. Check if they are 3 or 5-minute intervals. This also can be found in the race instructions.

3. Read the rules on how a start is conducted so you will be familiar with it when the sequence starts.

4. Read Race instructions to find out if the starting line and/or finish line are restricted. Also you will want to know how General recalls are carried out in case it changes the starting order. Finally you want to know what the alternate penalty is. When you foul someone you want to know right away weather you need to fly a white flag, or make a 720-degree turn. You do not want to make a 720 and then have to take a percentage penalty as well.

5. Avoid contact and conflicts at all cost. If you go to the protest room you stand a good chance of getting disqualified even if you are right. Avoid this.

Once you feel like you have learned the basics of starting and are out on the racecourse practice your time and distance timing. This will help you get a good start so you are not fighting from behind the entire race. This is essential to having a good race.

You will also want to sail your own race. Do not luff people up and spend your time trying to slow someone down. This is for match racing only. The best racers do not spend any time slowing people down. There are several boats on the racecourse and others will sail away while you spend time going slow to slow someone else. If you look at the boats in the lead they very rarely try to slow down their opponents. The boats that are always in the back are the ones spending time tacking on opponents and luffing up boats on the starting line. Take note: Do what the winning boats do.

Keep your boat moving fast all of the time. You never win races by going slow. Do not pinch while going up wind. Let the boat keep the speed up and you will work your way to weather.

Prepare for leeward mark rounding well in advance. You will see the mark well in advance of having to round it. Set up everything very early and be ready so you do not spend time going up wind with spinnaker gear all over the place. It is always better to take down early than late.

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