Halloween Regatta Debrief -- RWB

Hi! Here are my thoughts on this past weekend's regatta. Everyone sailed exceptionally well -- even though many were upset with their end results... It seemed like a perfect weekend to practice our 'focus words,' too! 

STARTS:

• We seemed to be getting mixed into the pack. To avoid this, we need to work on finding a rhythm during the set up/prestart. I personally like starting with a port approach so that I can see how the fleet is setting up. 
• Questions to ask yourself during your approach:
• Are people setting up early? late? on time? 
• Quickly remind yourself -- What is the current doing? Are there waves pushing people down opening up the boat ? Will I have to accelerate earlier (in light air) or can i accelerate a bit later  (in heavy air)? But, how about waves?
• Do I want to hold on starboard after the start (as was the case on Saturday with the lighter air and the persistent right shift) or do I have to be able to tack out onto port (as was the case on Sunday afternoon with the persistent lefty)? 
• Starting line priorities: 1. Be front row 2. Be full speed at go 3. Be on the proper side
• For now, we are practicing 1 and 2
• Key points about starts: 
• Don't be in the pack
• When the boats around you start accelerating, you should be too -- listen for the ratchet clicks!!!
• The most important time (I believe) of a race is right after the gun at go -- focus on your sail trim/tell tales/ boat speed to punch out. This will make your life much SO much easier

FIRST UPWIND:

• Too many people were sitting in dirty air off of the starting line (TIME IS MONEY!)
• In lighter air, extend to a side. In heavy air, you can make the middle work better
• Again, focus on boat speed for that first 30 seconds - 1 minute after go. Make it perfect...
• There are different types of puffs (we can talk about this later). Questions to ask -- can I tack on the edge of the puff to get the shift or do I have to sail in it/dig, to get more of the shift?
• We need to start thinking about your approach to the windward mark earlier. Anticipate the 'opti train' on the starboard lay line. Think: How can I catch one or two boats on the top 1/5 of the upwind. Can I get one of them by calling starboard on them (i.e. through a starboard/port)? 

DOWNWINDS:

• Keep trying to maintain constant windward heel
• heel = higher sail = more pressure (and less surface area in the water)
• Before rounding the windward mark, you should know which side of the course has more pressure. That way you know whether you should hold on starboard or to gybe onto port — don’t just follow the leaders. Go towards darker water
• Make sure you keep looking over your shoulder to see where the breeze is coming behind you! You were all tunnel vision forward, but the breeze is coming from behind you! 
• Let's talk about S curves in breeze and how to get on a wave/surf/stay on the wave. Great attempts for pumping and surfing on Sunday though! That was really fun to see. 

SECOND UPWIND:

• This upwind is more about risk/fleet management. If you are in the back, and need to gain many boats take a bigger risk. How? Leverage. Going further out to the side will give you leverage. More leverage, more risk, so you can gain/lose more boats. 
• e.g. if you bang the right corner and have good boat speed, you will either win by a mile or lose by a mile. 
• If you want to protect your position (say you are in the top 5), K.I.S.S. — keep it SO simple. Just protect from the 'middle'. Don’t take risks banging corners. If people are gaining/catching up to you on a certain side, protect more on that side. Don't give them leverage. You become like a basketball defender -- stay in between your opponent and the 'basket' or in this case, the mark. 
• You all can find a nice balance between taking risks and keeping it conservative. Just make sure you know what your goals are first. 
• These goals also change throughout the course of the regatta (as they do during a race) -- do we play it more conservative Saturday morning and take bigger risks on Sunday afternoon or can we just go for it from the beginning and play it conservatively if we are ahead? This is something you can talk to us about. 

Lastly, ALWAYS say thank you to the race committee after every race. You never know when they will give you a little favor later on…

Side notes: bring more gear, food and water! Prepare for all weather while packing your bag. I always bring extra fleeces, pants, etc. just in case. No excuse to be cold, tired, or hungry :)