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STARTING

WHERE TO START 2

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RACING IS FUN!

WHETHER YOU ARE RACING FOR GOLD OR RACING FOR FUN, RACING REQUIRES IMPORTANT & ESSENTIAL SAILING TECHNIQUES THAT EVERY SAILOR SHOULD KNOW!

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RACING IS EASY, WHEN YOU GET TO THE POINT, ALL IT REQUIRES IS GETTING A GOOD START, SAILING FAST, & STAY OUT OF TROUBLE!

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STARTS REQUIRE

  • JUDGMENT
  • TIMING
  • TEAM WORK
  • UNDERSTANDING OF WIND & WEATHER
  • KNOWLEDGE OF STRATEGY, TACTICS, & RULES
  • DEXTERITY AT CLOSE-QUARTERED

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WHERE TO START

  • THREE FACTORS TO CONSIDER
    • RACE STRATEGY FOR THE FIRST LEG
      • REFERS TO THE WIND YOU EXPECT ON THE UPWIND LEG OF THE COURSE
    • THE SET OF THE LINE
      • REFERS TO THE ANGLE OF THE START LINE TO THE WIND
    • MAKING IT WORK
      • BALANCING RACE STRATEGY, LINE SET, AND OTHER CONCERNS

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THE SET OF THE LINE

  • THE SET OF THE LINE MEANS THE ANGLE OF THE START LINE TO THE WIND. SINCE WE ARE RACING UPWIND, THERE IS AN ADVANTAGE TO STARTING AT THE END WHICH IS FURTHEST UPWIND – WE CALL THIS THE FAVOURED END.

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  • START LINES ARE SET UP PERPENDICULAR TO THE WIND IN AN ATTEMPT TO NOT HAVE A FAVOURED END; HOWEVER, THERE ALWAYS IS ONE.

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  • TIP: OFTEN THE PIN END IS PURPOSEFULLY MADE TO BE FAVOURED TO KEEP RACERS OFF OF THE COMMITTEE BOAT

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WHICH END IS FAVOURED?

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WHY IT’S IMPORTANT

  • TWO BOATS STARTING FROM OPPOSITE ENDS OF A SQUARE LINE WILL BE EQUALLY FAR FROM AN UPWIND MARK. IF THEY WERE ON CONVERGING TRACKS, THEY WOULD HIT BOW TO BOW. IF THE LINE IS NOT SQUARE TO THE WIND, THEN ONE WILL START AHEAD.

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SOME GENERAL STARTING TIPS

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ON WATER DRILLS

Drill #1 – Warm Up

Select a mark and circle it

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Using your watch, circle the mark for 5 minutes in one direction

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After the 5 minutes, switch direction and circle for another 5 minutes

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Focus: Work at matching your steering with your body weight and with your sheeting to achieve smooth fast circles. The goal isn’t tight roundings, but smooth and fast ones.

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PRACTICE BACKWARDS SAILING

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  • 1ST PUSH: TO THE BOOM WHICH BACKS THE MAINSAIL
  • 2ND PUSH: TO THE TILLER – IT’S CRITICAL THAT IT IS PUSHED TOWARDS THE BOOM, ALLOWING THE BOAT TO SPIN INTO A POSITION WHERE THE BOOM IS OVER THE LEEWARD SIDE AND CAN BE RELEASED
  • 1ST PULL: TO THE TILLER TO STOP THE BOAT SPINNING – THE BOAT SHOULD NOW BE ACROSS THE WIND
  • 2ND PULL: TO THE MAINSHEET TO ALLOW THE BOAT TO SET SAIL ONCE AGAIN.

Drill #2

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DRILL #3 - STOPPING

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STOPPING IN A 420

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PRACTICE 30 STOPS & STARTS

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EACH TIME YOU STOP, TRY TO HOLD YOUR STOPPED POSITION FOR 10 SECONDS

EACH TIME YOU ACCELERATE, TRY TO GET TO MAXIMUM SPEED WITHIN 10 SECONDS

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TRY TO FIND A MARK TO USE AS A REFERENCE POINT TO ENSURE THAT YOU ARE STOPPED AND HOLDING YOUR POSITION

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FOCUS: COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP AND HOLDING THE POSITION AND ACCELERATING AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE

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DRILL # 4 – DOUBLE TACKS

Set your watch to go off every 1 minute

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When your watch goes off, complete a double tack

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Complete 30 double tacks

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Focus: maintaining speed throughout the double tack

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DRILL # 5 – FINDING THE FAVOURED END

If possible, set up a “donut” course or use two existing harbor markers. A donut course is set up so that it is 90 degrees in relation to the wind, that way you are sailing on a beam reach.

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Set your watch to beep every two minutes. Sail around the donut, taking the the marks to port. When your watch goes off, try to find the favoured end as quickly as possible on the start line

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Focus: identifying which end is favoured quickly

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Summary of Drills

Drill #1 – Warm up circles

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Drill #2 – Practice Sailing Backwards

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Drill #3 - Starting and Stopping 30 times

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Drill #4 – Double Tacks 30 times

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Drill #5 – Finding the Favoured End

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SAFETY

  • ALWAYS WEAR YOUR LIFEJACKET / PFD
  • REMEMBER TO LOCATE YOUR PRACTICE CLOSE TO YOUR CLUB AND STAY CLOSE TO HOME
  • TELL SOMEONE ON SHORE WHERE YOU ARE PRACTICING AND FOR HOW LONG YOU EXPECT TO BE OUT THERE
  • IF POSSIBLE, TAKE A VHF RADIO WITH YOU
  • ALWAYS TAKE A WHISTLE AND A SAILING KNIFE
  • MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A RED FLAG TO HAVE A VISUAL SIGNAL TO NOTIFY IF YOU NEED ASSISTANCE
  • MAKE SURE YOU DRESS FOR THE WEATHER, WHERE SUN SCREEN, A HAT, IN ADDITION TO BRINGING WATER AND SNACKS