137 replies to this topic

[Test]

After watching the J24 start on the front page. I was thinking about how much fun it is to pull off a port tack start, especially by yourself, boat lengths in front of a stbd advancing fleet. Kinda makes you want to get up and dance, spike a wench handle or something (well, maybe into a cushion ). I love crushing a rounding and picking off a few boats, leeward roundings seem to be the most fun. Setting up, getting sails up and down, woking overlaps, picking pockets, accelerating out of the rounding. IMHO, it's those moments when you've executed which makes the "thrill of victory," and there's always those few OCS starts or bad mark roundings which can make you feel the "agony of defeat."

What's some of your favorite racing moments?

[j24vt]

Light air leeward mark rounding at Lake George in J24s. In the middle of a group of about 15 boats converging on the mark. Saw the cluster developing and took the chute down early. Sure enough, lots of bumping and boats locked together not moving. The whole raft slid to leeward of the mark and we rounding inside them all

[opusone]

[quote name='Test' date='Apr 10 2007, 09:48 AM' post='1132058']
After watching the J24 start on the front page. I was thinking about how much fun it is to pull off a port tack start, especially by yourself, boat lengths in front of a stbd advancing fleet. Kinda makes you want to get up and dance, spike a wench handle or something (well, maybe into a cushion ). I love crushing a rounding and picking off a few boats, leeward roundings seem to be the most fun. Setting up, getting sails up and down, woking overlaps, picking pockets, accelerating out of the rounding. IMHO, it's those moments when you've executed which makes the "thrill of victory," and there's always those few OCS starts or bad mark roundings which can make you feel the "agony of defeat."

What's some of your favorite racing moments?


Most memorable -

Sailing in the Prince of Wales, match racing in etchells at Bay View Yacht Club and I was on Bow. We set the chute coming in on port and crossed below our competition to set up up before the start - it worked. Placed second in the regatta.

opusone

[aA]

...and there's always those few OCS starts...feel the "agony of defeat."

thx t

[celphtaught]

at changing of the colors this year, rounding the bottom mark in 4th out of a 61 boat fleet (j24s), while telling tasteless jokes and singing queen at the top of our lungs. oh, and our skipper was 17

[NorCalHater]

After watching the J24 start on the front page. I was thinking about how much fun it is to pull off a port tack start, especially by yourself, boat lengths in front of a stbd advancing fleet. Kinda makes you want to get up and dance, spike a wench handle or something (well, maybe into a cushion ). I love crushing a rounding and picking off a few boats, leeward roundings seem to be the most fun. Setting up, getting sails up and down, woking overlaps, picking pockets, accelerating out of the rounding. IMHO, it's those moments when you've executed which makes the "thrill of victory," and there's always those few OCS starts or bad mark roundings which can make you feel the "agony of defeat."

What's some of your favorite racing moments?

Beating the red boat......

Sorry dude, too easy

[SailRacer]

In 22 yrs of racing, I am not sure I have had mine yet.

But, I will try again this weekend.. : )
Sail Safe!

[Test]

thx t

no prob bro .... you'll shake it off and get em next time.

[EWS]

Olson 30 Nationals port tack start midline driving for the owner.......

Was at the pin with about 45 to the gun was intending on finding a lane and tacking over to starboard so here we are running along the line ducking a few luffing boats waiting for the lane that never developed...... had to come up to clear a starboard boat and had to stay up to clear the next 10 or so starboard boats that were a few boatlengths off the line at the midline sag.....stayed in the lane on port and had just enough space to pull it off. Slung shot out and had our best finish for the regatta. Owner had to change his pants after that one...........it's a rush when you have to question whether or not you are going to cross 20+ boats and you can only see / worry about the few that are directly in sight...........

[ChiGuy]

A fake tack that actually worked. In a Chicago NOOD, we were pinned on the left by our closest competitor, getting closer to the port layline. We'd managed to condition them nicely, so they were ready to tack immediately when we did. This time, we didn't complete the tack. Gave us just enough breathing room to get to the windward mark ahead.

[Test]

Beating the red boat......

Sorry dude, too easy

Well ....... I've gotta take that one as a compliment.

[Test]

Olson 30 Nationals port tack start midline driving for the owner.......

Was at the pin with about 45 to the gun was intending on finding a lane and tacking over to starboard so here we are running along the line ducking a few luffing boats waiting for the lane that never developed...... had to come up to clear a starboard boat and had to stay up to clear the next 10 or so starboard boats that were a few boatlengths off the line at the midline sag.....stayed in the lane on port and had just enough space to pull it off. Slung shot out and had our best finish for the regatta. Owner had to change his pants after that one...........it's a rush when you have to question whether or not you are going to cross 20+ boats and you can only see / worry about the few that are directly in sight...........

Yea, there's always the moment where your not sure you're gonna pull it off which makes the whole thing that much more exciting. Knowing the whole time the risk is just as great as the reward just adds to the tension.

Gotta love it.

[TeamFugu]

Port tacking the fleet is always fun. I also like a couple of races I had single-handing or two-up on my O30 and hitting the line right at the gun while the rest of the fleet was tangled up below the line. They allowed me to win races I shouldn't have. Another favorite I had from my youth, before the age of the GPS, when I used some navigation I was taught by a navy captain I sailed with to find marks in a nasty. We sailed right to the marks and watched the adults sail right on past the farthest out mark. We finished two hours before the next boat. By the time they got in, we met them at the dock and they asked us why we dropped out. We asked them why they sailed so far past the mark. The look on their face was priceless.

[RumBulls]

Sailing to the leeward mark, I was trimming the chute as we were gaining on a similar boat (who happen to have a Sail rep on the boat trimming their chute). The OB was clear ahead and looked to be trying to mess with our course....So as the loud mouth I am, I hailed "proper course", and sure enough the rep turned around and responded "bs".....just as a little puff hit them and their chute collapsed. Giving us enough time to pass....





Would be an even better story if we ended up beating them!!!

[surf nazi]

I always love the downwind spinnaker port starboard boat to boat closing. Port tack just throws the boom over (without bothering to shift the spinnaker over to the other side) and hails, "Leeward boat, keep it up!" It gets them every time. Totally legit.

Mmmm, when port is appoaching stbd, port is on the WINDWARD side of starboard. Throwing the main across puts you on stbd, but you're still windward, not leeward. Doesn't sound like a legit move to me. Wanna try again ?

In the j 22 worlds in annapolis a couple of years ago, we were checking our numbers upwind in light air when the warning gun fired. With the wind getting lighter, we put up the chute to get back and made it to the midline sag with about 15 sec to go. Dropped the chute right in front of the wall of boats, hardened up, boom, gun goes and we are launched !! Went from stupid to brilliant in those 15 seconds.

[ninerslr]

Steel balls.

Just pulled one a couple of saturdays ago.

(that just doesn't sound right!)

[Foolish]

"I was thinking about how much fun it is to pull off a port tack start, especially by yourself, boat lengths in front of a stbd advancing fleet. Kinda makes you want to get up and dance, spike a wench handle or something (well, maybe into a cushion)"

Add to this that I was singlehanded, against a fleet of fully crewed boats, and you have a real thrill. I was at least 100 yards ahead of the fleet and heading in the right direction, just 20 seconds after the gun. I received cudos from the other racers for a week afterwards.

Andy

[RUMLIME]

After watching the J24 start on the front page. I was thinking about how much fun it is to pull off a port tack start, especially by yourself, boat lengths in front of a stbd advancing fleet. Kinda makes you want to get up and dance, spike a wench handle or something (well, maybe into a cushion ). I love crushing a rounding and picking off a few boats, leeward roundings seem to be the most fun. Setting up, getting sails up and down, woking overlaps, picking pockets, accelerating out of the rounding. IMHO, it's those moments when you've executed which makes the "thrill of victory," and there's always those few OCS starts or bad mark roundings which can make you feel the "agony of defeat."

What's some of your favorite racing moments?

port tack starts can be slick

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[Wess]

New to racing and new to Lasers. Coming to windward mark on port tack about 7-10 boat lengths out placed surprisingly high in the fleet. Neighborhood friend on the starboard tack layline and I can't tack ahead and be clear. Big crowd behind him so I can't duck. Tacked just under / ahead of his lee bow with the best roll tack I have ever done (I am old and fat), came out of it w/ speed and made the mark. He got spit out the back of me and could not make the mark. He is a great guy and helped get me into dinks but the look on his face when he realized it was me the spit him out was classic.


Think he still beat me that race but CHRIS (CPT. NEMO)... IF YOU ARE HERE... NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES YOU WIN I WILL ALWAYS HAVE THAT LEE BOW AND THE LOOK ON YOUR FACE.

[eclipse5499]

Last season racing on a Wednesday night in a goofy fleet, I port tacked the entire fleet on the starting line. Crossed them all, including a GL70 with my little Laser 28 by a boat length. Pretty sweet.

[sailman]

In 22 yrs of racing, I am not sure I have had mine yet.

But, I will try again this weekend.. : )
Sail Safe!

Dog pile on the bow isn't a racing move?

[SailRacer]

Very good Will, You have me there.

I think it was called 'BRAWL ON THE FOREDECK' - Good Times, Glad I can not remember them all ; '>

Sail safe!

[jrpytlak]

I like to air hump.

[Call Me Boomvang]

Port tacking the fleet is great.

There was a small one that stands out to me. A windward beat in dense fog without the aid of GPS to find the mark so did a quick mental calc of what we thought our VMG would be based on boat speed and figured 1/2 of the time on each tack. No polars on board. Thankfully the course was pretty square and the wind was fairly steady. To keep it simple, we just timed out a 5 min beat to starboard, a 8 min beat to port and then a 3 minute beat to starboard and came into the mark almost perfect about 5 boat lengths below the layline. Many overstood the layline on either side. If we had be farther away than that we might have missed it. Felt like a smart monkey that day and glad I had been reading my sailing books.

Sailing port tack in a fog across the course with the fleet bearing down was nerve wracking. One person on the hand held fog horn and one looking below the main constantly, ready to insta-tack or duck.

[statesidehaggis]

UK youths a long time ago....420 class, Weymouth.

Comtitie boat had a big wind read out on it's mizzen , which was convenient, we had been tracking the breeze and were ready when it went hard right with a minute to go....
most of the fleet realised late and reached down the line in time to see us and a handful of boats head off from the now favoured boat end.........on stbd.

reached top mark 4th......then up to second and won the race with a few boat lengths to spare.

eating lunch, hove too whilst watching the entire fleet still racing upwind was a nice moment.

Haggis.

[CAN217]

was in a perfect position to lay the starting pin as outside boat. then we experience a huge knock moments before the gun. not gonna make the pin anymore; but, knock so big that a tack just before the pin made sense. port tacked fleet in spectacular fashoin. yeah, we got lucky.

[SamLowry]

Port tacked the fleet on the start in a Sunfish regatta. Wind had swung way left and the rest were doing their usual lemming starboard start. Round the windward mark first. Yeah! Proceeded to get in a tacking duel on the next beat. It was close and America's Cup style with me having a half-boatlength advantage. And we forgot all about going to the finish line. Finished 3 or 4th in that one... No good dead goes unpunished...

[stevedallas]

Last Year, 100 mile mini-offshore race, had horrible boat speed problems, couldn't even keep up with ourselves let alone the rest of PHRF A; 30 miles left, rounded Sanilac to head back to Port Huron. We were so far behind that nobody covered--they went out into the lake and we stayed inside, caught a huge lift (which pretty much happens every year) and finished--next nearest boat in our class was 90 minutes behind. lotsa fun! Its better to be lucky than good.

[mustang__1]

This years st. pete noods. We set up on the line to do a port tack, gave up early and decided to just take everyone's sterns wrathing than tack from about 45 seconds out since i didnt want to kill the speed... We go off the line at 0 seconds and at full speed, the guys got me into a good position. The maintrimmer (if i recal, thanks OFS) then says to just bang the right corner. Knowing that we werent going to be DFL at this regatta, and probably werent risking a first place for the regatta either, we went. And holy shit did it pay off! We rounded the top mark about 5BL's or so ahead of the second place boat. The rest of the ensuing race was a complete crap shoot though, with boats on close hauled going in the opposite direction... We ended up deadlast on the last leg, or second to DFL, only to then finish second. What a race...

[pitman260]

J2(9 N/A's 2005--Lake Ontario) we were downwind to the finish in the last race of the day. It was blowing snot 23-25 kts.--half the fleet was wiping out--some guys were sailing with out kites. We were about 100yds in the lead when we get hit by a puff and get completely knocked down. The boat gybes onto port --and I let the spin halyard down. The bowman (Ralphie). Gathers the kite against his chest and jumps around the headstay. He yells at us to hoist the chute--as soon as it's up the boat takes off and we reattach the pole. We ended up winning that race and the regatta. The entire time we were 'down' our bowman reacted without missing a beat--I never saw him holding on to anything but the sail--Unbelievable!!

[oldweezer]

Probably about 2000 Chi-Mac, Port started the fleet with a Mega 30 (go ahead and laugh because I sold it). I loved all the screams of "starboard" as I crossed their bows. Btw I didn't finish first in the race (big surprise, huh?) but, I didn't finish last either!!!!

[dyslexic dog]

Mine was not a "move" but I wish I could travel back in time to that day every time I think about it.

2002 Chi-mac blowing stink coming into the lee shore with a kite up and knowing we must jibe. Man, we talked it through for 15 min. Who, what, when, and how. Finally do it. Pole, tweeners and all; and the boom comes over, WHAM, and the rig is still there. Smile, look at a J35 doing the same but with a headsail and then seeing their main look real ugly. They broke their boom.

After that, I will let 7.9 tell "the rest of the story".

[TheBowGuy]

In a Mumm30 regatta shooting head to wind just getting our bow pulpit across the line to finish without room or speed, getting the horn then backing the main and sailing away. The three other boats near us were pissed.

[SemiSalt]

I was crew on a Tartan 33. A problem of some kind caused us to approach the line late and on port. We passed behind the pin just about at the gun, and the skipper sees that there is room enough before the onrushing starboard tackers to head up, then tack to lee of them. Just as we get trimmed up, the fleet takes a big knock, and it's clear we can cross them all on port with about a boat length to spare. We were much criticized after for a 'risky' manuever which made it all the better.

If there is one move I love to make over and over, it's staying wide a wheel of boats rounding a mark five deep, then cutting inside them.

[Meanie]

J-30 NA's a couple of years ago, left-most boat out of a 20 boat fleet going upwind in perfect conditions, we bang the corner and come back on port crossing the entire fleet, with multiple extremely close crossings (favorite line from my tactician at one cross "it's your call...your boat"). Exhilirating and nerve wracking at the same time.

[NyJboat]

Sailing at KWRW this year in the 109 we were neck and neck with a boat to leward on port tack about 5 BLs from the leward gate. We knew we wanted the left gate. The tactician on the other boat starts to take us up and wanted to make us gybe to get to the mark, effectivley putting them in front of us. One of the guys on our boat says to throw the main over keeping the kite on the port side, we call starboard and the look on their faces was pricless. They had no idea what to do. We float the the spin in there rounding a boat ahead of them.

They did go on to take second in the regatta to our not so podium finish, but that one manuver made the whole regatta worth while.

[Stiffler's Mom]

Banging the owners daughter.

[PDG]

Does gybing the spin pole with a full beer in one hand without spilling count?

[montey_burns]

Does gybing the spin pole with a full beer in one hand without spilling count?

depends on how drunk the trimmers and driver are.

[Guitar]

Singlehanded offshore race and I was the smallest boat (22 ft), three oil rigs to round, each about 5 miles apart. Light winds and I was third class to start. Rolled through the second fleet rounding the first "mark" in about 8th or 9th. Watched the leaders start taking a header and noticed a puff down the course. Tacked to port and headed into the lift which proceeded to take me right up the to second mark, second boat to round. Not one of the other 24 boats took this track and I sailed alone the whole time as their hulls went over the horizon. When I rounded the majority of the fleet was a mile off.

Finished first in class and while accepting my award the trophy presenter mentioned that if there had been an overall trophy I would have won it.

[sailone]

I got laid while winning a race on my Nacra 5.8.

[longy]

Mind games against the J-24 fleet (when there was one) in Hawaii. Trapped outside on the last run, knowing full well that whoever got around the leeward mark first won the race, & for us the regatta. Moany Tony had a fuller spi than ours & could run lower, so something drastic was needed. Quietly plotted it all oput & waited till we were getting close. As the last puff of the run got to us, we squared to pole, over eased the sheet, had the helm shouting out curses & trim commands. Rolled down into a crash jibe, just crossed the sternof the other boat, & immediately jibed back with a big pump one everything. As we pulled up inside overlapped & claiming room they didnt even realize they'd been had.
Couple of months later, same situation against another boat, but reaching into a stbd rounding with us outside again. Lots of gusts that day in K bay, so we thought might as well try it again. Heeled over aggressively in the puff (but with vang already uncleated & hand held), lots of screams/curses as we round up slicing across transom of the other boat. You could see the sneers on thier faces as they laughed at our boat handling - until we blew the vang 7 spi sheet, then pumped them in hard as we all did the Elvstrom lunge & hiked the boat down flat & pulled up overlapped.
Lahaina return race in a j-24 - 100 odd nm of hard running down the windward side of Molokai headed for Waikiki. We were third around the east end of Molokai, but the first to get in under the sea cliffs (much more breeze) & succesfully defended the inside & our lead until just before Kalaupapa where Moany Tony was able to run us down with the fuller spi. For the next 40 nm we tried every tactic to get back in front, but allways seemed to cross 1 length behind. Closing on the Diamond Head bouy knowing that again whoever got around first could easily defend reaching to the finish a mile away. We had rotated crew positions thru the entire race, so were tired but still alert & determined. We had seen that the other boat did no changes at all & were looking really tired. We knew winds were light at the bouy, but the gulches down the side of Diamond head focused & accelerated the breeze. We round the bouy 1/2 a length back, they come up to a broad reach to the finish. We go as high as we can with the spi in the light, & before they can react, we're 5 lengths above them, & catching the first valley blast we drive down & over them pulling up just ahead & to windward of them. Arguments & curses on the other boat lead to Tony dropping the tiller & stepping forward to slap his bowhand. As he does that, the boat heads up & drags it's spi across our backstay - so we gleefully toss the red flag at him.

[proofeditwrite]

Paul Elvstrom said what can be seen must be seen. He was right.

A long distance race (20 plus miles) on a broad expanse of freshwater river against 60+ in a fickle breeze. We got out early and saw that the current was severe at the RC end and really weak against the shore. I decided to avoid the log jam at the favoured RC end and take our chances in clean air and slack current at the pin.

Gun goes off, and we are alone, sail a few lengths, flop onto port and hook into a building and gently lifting, totally private breeze. We footed off to disguise the lift and powered away. No one said a word and next time I looked we were two hundred yards out in front. Even 30 miles would not have been enough to catch us. HJ.

I use the gaudy metal pickle dish emblazoned with words like First and Annual Long Distance Race Champion as a mull tray and it is sitting here on my desk as I write. What you want me to put pickles in it?

[MidPack]

Not a favorite, but most unusual that I have experienced. Wind was going very light when the 5 minute countdown began and the whole fleet experienced a 180° wind shift in the last minute before the start. It was an out and back port-to-port race so the race was not called to reset the line/course - all of us were scrambling to not hit each other, rig up chutes (we all thought we were starting on a reach and none of us were prepared to start downwind) and get off the line. I assume the center of a system passed right over our start line at the time, hence the 180° shift. Was actually a decent race, but a really bizarre start...

[rolltacker]

I like to tail the best guy in the fleet pre start. I'll get on his hip and inevitably he'll be headed back to the boat end. I get on his weather hip, he comes up half expecting me to tack. I'll luff, but not tack. I'll yell that he can't take me above close hauled. He'll have no choice but to bear off into a line of oncoming starboard tackers. I tack away and leave him hosed in bad air while I'm 5 bl's in front. Works every time...... unless someon'e tailing me :-o

[barleymalt]

Except that pre-start he can take you head to wind if he so chooses. Not to mention if he is positioned to be able to come up to the boat, you are pretty well screwed. Sounds like one of those three things can happen, two of them bad scenarios.

[rolltacker]

Except that pre-start he can take you head to wind if he so chooses. Not to mention if he is positioned to be able to come up to the boat, you are pretty well screwed. Sounds like one of those three things can happen, two of them bad scenarios.

Sure, he can take me head to wind, but he can't get back to the line if I don't let him......teeheheeeheee. Understand that at this point we are to the starboard of the comitte boat. Trust me this is "the move".

[knobblyoldjimbo]

Anyone watch that Contender worlds video - absolutely brilliant port start - high risk since tacking those things is tricky when you're out on the wire.

[jdougherty]

Except that pre-start he can take you head to wind if he so chooses. Not to mention if he is positioned to be able to come up to the boat, you are pretty well screwed. Sounds like one of those three things can happen, two of them bad scenarios.

I agree but perhaps the wrong thread to debate it.

[jackattack]

About 15 years ago, 16ft Skiff Botany Bay Championship.

Wind 35-40 knots from the south

Starters boat was struggling to hold anchor and had drift down significantly leaving a huge pin bias. With about 1 min to go I was waiting to port hand at the pin when I notice the starters boat motoring upwind.

We reached down the line on port tack and port handed the start at the boat end. All the starboard tackers hadn't seen the starters boat motoring upwind and they all rushed to get to the pin.

Led by about a min at the first mark, never got to the second!

[d'ranger]

20 or so years ago - light air race and we are doing very well when we come to the leeward mark and the spin shackle has been cranked into the mast. Took forever to free it and by then we were dfl. Skipper went below, we just settled down and watched the 100+ boats ahead of us slowly piling up into a huge hole. We eased off to follow a wind line and passed almost the entire fleet. Skipper comes up we are in the hunt, get 1st in class, 2nd in fleet. That was sweet.

[Greig]

Rudimentary will explain this one more eloquently if he sees this thread as it was his call but here goes. We were pinned out on starboard with a tack needed to get to the finish line about 200 ft away. The call was for us to tack and go right at the other boat sort of pretending not to see them and at the last minute duck them - it was quite windy. His thinking was that they would be so worried about us going to hit them that they would not do what they should be doing and that was tacking and leading us in. It worked beautifully. They were yelling "starboard" and we just did the planned for big duck and led them in. By the time they realized what had happened - and they did - we crossed the line a boat length or two ahead. Priceless!

[beerme]

A fake tack that actually worked. In a Chicago NOOD, we were pinned on the left by our closest competitor, getting closer to the port layline. We'd managed to condition them nicely, so they were ready to tack immediately when we did. This time, we didn't complete the tack. Gave us just enough breathing room to get to the windward mark ahead.

Just what I was thinking of in an overnight race from T.C. Mich. to Leeland, Mich.
Fake tack after a long tacking duel durring the twilight hours. Lost sight of them sometime durrung the night. Got into Leeland and no sight of the other boat. Went and took a shower and went to breakfast. After breakfast noticed them pulling into the harbor.
Thanks Piggy.

[rolltacker]

I agree but perhaps the wrong thread to debate it.

Or not, here's a thang for clarity.

[jackattack]

Or not, here's a thang for clarity.

And I'm sure everyone in the fleet thinks you're a good bloke!

[rolltacker]

And I'm sure everyone in the fleet thinks you're a good bloke!

I dont use it unless I need to...typically final race for the win type maneuver. I'm typically a real nice guy on the course, but I do have an arsenal if need be. We're not out there to play patty cake. Leave it all on the course.

[jackattack]

I dont use it unless I need to...typically final race for the win type maneuver. I'm typically a real nice guy on the course, but I do have an arsenal if need be. We're not out there to play patty cake. Leave it all on the course.

Be careful, as I'm sure the "best guy in the fleet" might also have a trick or two in his arsenal. It might not work every time

[barleymalt]

I was thinking the same thing. Whole bunch of ways to turn that one around.

[tilt]

#1 Doing bow on a Laser 28 in the late 80's and fake Gybeing boats and watching them go off in to far-far-away land all by themselves...

#2 Reaching on a Tasar at Cascade Locks, and passing a former world champion... rounding the gybe mark in fourth, holding it until the leeward mark.. then getting passed going up wind... but still we have that one leg to smile on !!!!!!!!

[Sabre66]

Not so much a maneuver as an unforgettable moment. We were racing in the New England PHRF's last year against much more experienced boats. First race we took a 5th which is better than I thought we'd do. In the second race we had a great start and just fell into a groove,even passing boats that were in faster fleets.We ended up taking a bullet for our fleet. We couldn't believe it as we were by far the slowest boat in the fleet on paper. In the third race we took 2nd and on the second day we fell apart after loosing some spin gear over the side.
What made that race so special was the fact that the year before we finished dead last in 4 out of 5 races in the PHRF's, so no one really thought we stood a chance.

[Christian]

Banging the owners daughter.

And his new wife in a threesome....

[Heaven can wait]

We had a delayed start (No Breeze) in State Championships with 117 Boats fronting. When we were finally able to get racing we sat at the CB end, you could have handed us a beer we were that close.

As the 1 minute signal flag dropped I said to my crew, when we start we're going right OK.

When the gun went off the entire fleet was on Starboard, we pulled the sails on, sailed about 3 or 4 Boat lengths then Tacked over to Port. To my surprise we were the only boat to do so and as time went by my crew became somewhat nervous as to my decision to go right. Hell after a while even I got a little nervous.

Fack me what have I done, had entered my mind at this point.

After sailing on Port we Tacked back smack bang onto the upwind layline for the first mark, again my crew were wondering if what I'd done was going to work.

Oh well I thought if it doesn't at least I'm coming in on Starboard.

Sighting the entire field underneath us, I concentrated on keeping the boat fast, as we all converged on the Windward mark it became quickly obvious that my choice to go right was spot on, and we crossed the entire fleet with a 10 or 12 boat length split on second.

You couldn't contain the smile on my crew leading up to the mark rounding, and for myself there is nothing better than "getting it right"

We won the race and the Regatta all with a borrowed boat.

[SF65]

Jibe mark at fort mason in Big boats series blowing 25. Next mark is a bit more reachy. Big Chute up. Head up a bit, head down a bit so that we are dead down heading to the mark. Hoist Reacher (smaller chute). Both kites up and full running to the mark. Slight turn of the wheel at the mark. Main jibes, Chute drops nicely to the deck and into the forward hatch in a modified mexican

[Bow Monkey]

One of my favorite moments was the start of last year's Mac. We spent all morning convincing ourselves we'd go for a conservative start, and instead ended up port tacking about half the 40.7 fleet. We "might" have gotten the whole fleet, but the owners, never having sailed with me before, didn't trust my calls of "keep going!" At least we got the feel-good commentary on T2PTV after nearly running over the boat that filmed the start.

[Motorcycle]

My favorite was 5-6 years ago in the final race of the Express 27 Berkeley Midwinters. the situation was we were in second and needed to put one point between us and the regatta leader to win our 20+ boat fleet. After a 30kt squall before the race, several general recalls, and 2 90 degree shifts we found ourselves with a 300 yard lead on the last run before the beat to the finish. Normally we would be stoked to win any race in this series but the regatta leader was in second with a comfy lead over 3rd- also the latest wind shift had left the course a mess with the final legs being a spinnaker reach in about 10kts to the leward mark and a fetch to the finish in which either end of the line could be layed after tacking around the final mark. With nothing to loose we dropped our spinnaker and waited for the boats behind to catch up. We lead around the leward mark by 10 lengths and then tacked and waited for the boat we had to beat to come around. When they tacked around the mark and reached off on starboard for the close leward pin end we came down and started blocking their wind. Every time we would pull ahead we luffed our sails and drove them back. They tried to sail low of the mark to break through our bad air but we stayed right on them. About 10 lengths from the pin I realized that we were so low we could no longer lay the pin and that the third place boat was overtaking both of us and i soon would not cross them on port. We executed a perfect tack at the top of the genoa conditions as the second place boat tacked at the same time. We were just able to leebow the on coming 3rd place boat and shoot for the line while the second place boat had to take our sterns and got 3rd while we got the gun and the series win. Bang, Bang, Bang! It felt awsome to have pulled of such an improbable scenario.

[chinesegybe]

Many years ago......Starting a long distance race in Durban, South Africa. The place is not normally know for light airs, but this particular day it was still coming off the land and really all over the place. Checking the line, we found a bit of current, puching backwards. 30 seconds to go, the wind, what little there was, evaporates. Foredeck crew (me :-) ) slides down below under the jib and gets out our light anchor and slips it into the water. All of the fleet wonder how the $%$&$ we are going forward, when in fact they were going back. by the time they realised what we had done, too late. When the wind filled back in we had a huge head start.

[rolltacker]

I was thinking the same thing. Whole bunch of ways to turn that one around.

Nope. Your wrong. Too bad for you.

[Test]

My favorite was 5-6 years ago in the final race of the Express 27 Berkeley Midwinters. the situation was we were in second and needed to put one point between us and the regatta leader to win our 20+ boat fleet. After a 30kt squall before the race, several general recalls, and 2 90 degree shifts we found ourselves with a 300 yard lead on the last run before the beat to the finish. Normally we would be stoked to win any race in this series but the regatta leader was in second with a comfy lead over 3rd- also the latest wind shift had left the course a mess with the final legs being a spinnaker reach in about 10kts to the leward mark and a fetch to the finish in which either end of the line could be layed after tacking around the final mark. With nothing to loose we dropped our spinnaker and waited for the boats behind to catch up. We lead around the leward mark by 10 lengths and then tacked and waited for the boat we had to beat to come around. When they tacked around the mark and reached off on starboard for the close leward pin end we came down and started blocking their wind. Every time we would pull ahead we luffed our sails and drove them back. They tried to sail low of the mark to break through our bad air but we stayed right on them. About 10 lengths from the pin I realized that we were so low we could no longer lay the pin and that the third place boat was overtaking both of us and i soon would not cross them on port. We executed a perfect tack at the top of the genoa conditions as the second place boat tacked at the same time. We were just able to leebow the on coming 3rd place boat and shoot for the line while the second place boat had to take our sterns and got 3rd while we got the gun and the series win. Bang, Bang, Bang! It felt awsome to have pulled of such an improbable scenario.

Hey ....... Who unchained you from your machine! Get back to work

Did I make that race? with Lambo? One of many of your great moves.

[jackattack]

Nope. Your wrong. Too bad for you.

No, too bad for you when it doesn't work

[SPORTSCAR]

Early 80's JOG Nationals ( mixed fleet of small offshore keelboats 20-31ft long)here on Port Phillip sailing in a J24. Long Race - 90 mile overnighter. Crap start, drifty conditions and a couple of hours after the start we are a distant DFL, with my dispirited crew watching the rest of the fleet sail away on a new breeze. I just told them it aint over till it is and kept on plugging away. At the bottom end of the bay faced with a big wind shift we elected to go straight back up the middle rather than follow the fleet right into Carrum Bight in the dark. I asked the guys to tell me how many would still be in front at the finish and the answers were all in the high 30s. We plugged away in the building breeze and come the dawn we could see only about three boats a mile or so in front of us. The pessimists reckoned all the others who had streeted us earlier had obviously finished well ahead. So on we sailed up the bay in the freshening northerly, working some shifts and gaining all the time on the boats in front. At the end we were close enough to hear the gun and finished 4th in a fleet of more than 60 boats. Some were still finishing hours after us. Maybe just dumb luck but it taught a couple of young dudes a bit about persistence.

[yachtie2k4]

in one of the races of the 2000-2001 national sabot championships which were held at keppel bay sc (QLD, AUS) the pin end of the line was favoured by a shitload, there were probably 10 boats out of 72 started on port at the pin end, me being one of them, well, the wind changed just enough for us to be laying the mark on port tack and everyone who was near the pin end are way out in front, the race committee decide that because of the windshift, to abandon the race. damn damn damn.

i love doing port tack starts, in the last corsair state titles (held at rosebud yc, victoria aus), the first race it was blowing <5 knots, we come off the start line on port tack knowing that we were going to, lead the rest of the race, no one gets closer than 10 boat lengths (iirc), the only problem was, the rest of the regatta was a heavy air regatta and us being the lightest crew, we didn't do to good the rest of the regatta.

[Al.]

No specific, but port-tacking the the start succesfully is, as others have pointed out, always fun- the feeling of a success will generally make up for the horror if you try and fail, but never go for them half-heartedly.

Pulling a succsful lee-bow, and seeing the frustrated look as your opponent's boat just stops, is also good. Get that rig over to windward a bit, dump the jib and go.

[Motorcycle]

Hey ....... Who unchained you from your machine! Get back to work

Did I make that race? with Lambo? One of many of your great moves.

You sure did. Taro San and Andy M. as well. OG's all and the best of friends and times!

[The Stig]

Mixed fleet racing, closing in under kite on a boat double the size in a lightweight sportsboat, "guru" tactician looking over shoulder at us about to overtake to windward and nudges the driver to take us up, after trying to cart us off the course (sailing away from the mark) we flag the kite, they sail past, quick gybe across their stern and beat them to the next mark by a couple of hundred metres. Priceless watching them scratch their heads wondering how the fuck it all happened and the extra distance they ended up sailing to try and put away a boat that they should have been all over.

[chuso007]

The most memorable one was when in a 20+ mile coastal race there were some reefs in the middle of the course, and the whole fleet went outside of them (as usual in that particular race) and our skipper decided to go inside looking for thermal winds, what we found was no wind at all and a current against us of about 1-2 knots... Even the fucking Red Cross was looking for us 6-7 hours later that night...

I was 16 then, still remember that night perfectly.

[Marinero]

Rounded the top mark 3rd in front of a new farr 42 and less than a boat length behind the local Cookson 50 and Corel 45 in an Adams 10 after port tacking the fleet on a majorly biased line at the invitational race for a big regatta in Oz. Great fun! It's always good being the underdog!

[barleymalt]

Nope. Your wrong. Too bad for you.

Really?
Let's suppose that
1) I don't let you set up on my hip to start - Option #1
2) I rub you off on another boat anywhere during .
3) I jibe away during that sequence just past the boat. Now you are either forced to jibe inside, trapped between me and the boat or break your maneuver.

There are a ton more.

Your whole strategy is based on the other boat doing what you want it to. There are counters to any starting strategy, particularly one that you know is coming.

[KRC]

A couple of my favorites:
Beercan race, we had a shitty start, and were at the trailing end of our class (7-8 boats). It was a light air race, and the leader apparantly thought it was a shortened course, so he rounded the first mark, and began heading to the finish line (instead of the second mark for the normal course). Like lemmings, the rest of the fleet rounded and followed suit. We sat there asking each other if anyone had seen a shortened course flag. Since we were all positive that none of us had, we sailed the normal course and finished 20 minutes after the rest of the fleet, under a protest flag. We got some odd looks when, at the finish line, we hailed the RC to tell them we intended to protest all boats in our class. Protest filed, all boats tossed, we win the series.

Another luck story:
This one happened recently. Sailing FJ's in light air. Rounded the leeward mark and went left while the rest of the fleet went right. Crew forgets to put centerboard down, so trying to tack was a miserable experience. Finally, crew realizes error and puts the board down. Like magic, the boat became responsive, and we finally tacked (after five minutes drunken weaving), but we had lost several boats. As luck would have it, all the boats that went right lost all wind, and we who went left caught a fortunate 90 degree shift and made a beeline for the finish. It is certainly a good feeling to be moving (however slowly) and watching a fleet of dumbstruck drifting boats bob past.

[Dogfish4255]

It took the whole first race for my team to figure out how to win races on Saturday of the J24 Downeast Regatta last fall, but when we sorted it out, it called for a boat end start in a crowd followed by a fight to be the most right.

First start was just wrong, second start was pretty, third start of the day was LUCKY.

Set up lurking slighly outside the layline to the boat, and fortunately we had everyone on our weather hip pinned out. An early boat to set up was however blocking the hole. LUCKY he was over early and sat luffing and sliding sideways, because my team went from full hike to "get your legs in the boat!" in order to scream past the committee and over the over-early boat on a close reach to win the boat . . . and the race. Without the over early boat luffing and generating the leeway at the weather end of the line, we would have close reached in 12-14 knts into . . . a wall of transoms.

I still have nightmares about Sunday, for anyone who was there. Falmouth, ME is a weird place to sail.

[Cookie Monster]

2005 Governor’s Cup

We were beating our way up St. Mary’s River after a really slow race. A PHRF A boat ~38 ft is on starboard, I am on port. I duck her and about 30 seconds later perform the final tack to cross the finish. She tacked at the same time, I got the lift, she got the header. You should have seen the look on the helmsman’s face when he realized he had to duck me. A PHRF A boat had to duck a PHRF C 30 ft lead cruiser! To make it even better, she followed us across the line and we got the cannon for our class.

Cookie Monster

[ChiGuy]

My favorite was 5-6 years ago in the final race of the Express 27 Berkeley Midwinters. ..

Great story MC!

[ChiGuy]

Nope. Your wrong. Too bad for you.

While I wouldn't expect that in a fleet race, if you'd done it once, I would have. Not all that difficult to get out of.

[fan]

Racing 470's in the Olympic classses regatta at ABYC. Sailing up wind with Dave Ullman on our hip about 4 boatlengths to weather and few back. Let me add we are a couple of 17 year old kids who came back up the week after CISA in JJ's borrowed boat. SO we're working as hard as we can to get up to Dave who is like a God in the class at that time. So we see 5 boats coming on starboard. I peek over my shoulder to see Dave looking at us with a big grin as he figures hes got us. We end up gett ing just little lift of the back of each one and the next time he sees us we're almost up right in front of him. The moment was the one were he peeked again but this time it started with a grin and ended with a frown. I will never forget that moment.

[sailingk8]

I once did bow and didn't fall off, was a proud moment!

[montey_burns]

I like to tail the best guy in the fleet pre start. I'll get on his hip and inevitably he'll be headed back to the boat end. I get on his weather hip, he comes up half expecting me to tack. I'll luff, but not tack. I'll yell that he can't take me above close hauled. He'll have no choice but to bear off into a line of oncoming starboard tackers. I tack away and leave him hosed in bad air while I'm 5 bl's in front. Works every time...... unless someon'e tailing me :-o

The only correct thing in this post is you realizing you’re never the best in the fleet. Learn how to sail to win not just screw everyone else HACK.

[WarBird]

We all started somewhere and had a mentor or two whom we recall with fondness and respect and some races with them are etched forever in your memory. When I bought my first boat a B-25 (WarBird) and hence became the skipper I asked Dick to join us on our first Wedsnight race. Dick had just sold his J29 that I had crewed on for 3-4 years. Many of us know the excitement of that first race, and the nerves! Dick talked me through that first race of the season, kept us in clear 5-7 kts air and we sailed through most of the fleet and corrected first overall, including a SC70.

Tom was short on crew in a coastal 45 miler and the season Boat of the Year was on the line for him. His Hobie33 seemed to find air all year long when others were drifting but he still needed some Distance Race results. I signed on and was one of the few experienced racers on board for this race. Our fleet had the third or fourth start on a very light and shifty down wind line. We have all the gear ready and pole up for a chute hoist as we approach the line under main and #1, I am sneaking the head up behind the main with 20-30 seconds to go and our timing looks great. Tom, cool as ice, says lets hold off on the chute. Now , you look arround and see all these other boats ghosting along, the fleets ahead of us just 50-150 yard across the line. Tom wants to stick with the #1. I start looking for gear to barberhaul the sheet but Tom says let's just sit still for a while. Then Tom explains, see those chutes collapse every10-30 seconds, those chutes are not pulling while we still have attached flow on the jib, it's not great but it's not bad. For 3 hours we didn't touch the sail trim, Tom snaked a1/2 mile either side of the rhumb line always following his jib as we crawled through the fleets ahead of us and left our fleet in the dust. When the wind did come on we had literally miles on most of the fleet! I have used that jib downwind trick successfully on a number of really light air occaision since and we call it the Tom Tactic. I hope my local fleet does'nt see this thread!

[BaDaBing!]

Where i sailed beer cans last year this was one course in particular we did quite a lot, and it involved a leeward mark about 100 yards from the beach.
Each time we rounded onto starboard it was a pissing contest to see who'd go the furthest in, and get the best of the lift you got when you flipped onto port afterwards.
I loved tacking with 6 inches under the keel, and then popping up infront of the boat whod tacked straight away.

[The Winner]

Or not, here's a thang for clarity.

Nice graphics but you leave out a few things like the other boats and the fact that most people arnt going to be your bitch

[Froth]

I like to tail the best guy in the fleet pre start. I'll get on his hip and inevitably he'll be headed back to the boat end. I get on his weather hip, he comes up half expecting me to tack. I'll luff, but not tack. I'll yell that he can't take me above close hauled. He'll have no choice but to bear off into a line of oncoming starboard tackers. I tack away and leave him hosed in bad air while I'm 5 bl's in front. Works every time...... unless someon'e tailing me :-o

That is actually kind of creepy ..... certainly not a "favorite racing move" as the thread implies...and this is just a guess, but something tells me even if you leave the 'best guy hosed in bad air', those five boat lenghts arent gonna be enough for you.

And what if there is more than one 'best guy'? Does that confuse you, or do you have a move for both (all) of them? Now that would be something.

[DoRag]

I was once on a boat where the "O" longboarded the hull.

It was deemed to be illegal by the Class Officers who officially banned the practice.

Then they found out that half the fleet had longboarded their hulls, including even some of the Officers.

They then had to withdraw that new ruling. Silly them.

But, everyone on SA already knows that story, don't you?

[Froth]

I was once on a boat where the "O" longboarded the hull.

It was deemed to be illegal by the Class Officers who officially banned the practice.

Then they found out that half the fleet had longboarded their hulls, including even some of the Officers.

They then had to withdraw that new ruling. Silly them.

But, everyone on SA already knows that story, don't you?

Doesnt sound familiar at all to me.

And besides, it sounds way too stupid to be true.

[barefoot children]

I like the starboard layline overstand head fake manouver.

With your favorite compitition crossing in front of you still on port looking for the point to tack on the layline, let the bow down by 10-20 degrees just as he crosses in front of you.
His foredeck yells out xxx hasen't got the line and so he proceeds to overstand by 5 lengths befort tacking while you come back up and lay the mark.

LOVE IT!

[sailwriter]

Sailing a national championship on a SE USA lake in 1985 in a drifter. My bored then twelve year old son says, "Hey Dad! Look, all the cows are turning around to watch the race." Well, I'm a salt water sailor, but I know that cows like to put their stern into the wind. It is a fly thing. So we drifted toward shore away from the massed fleet. Won that race by a leg of the course.

[rolltacker]

That is actually kind of creepy ..... certainly not a "favorite racing move" as the thread implies...and this is just a guess, but something tells me even if you leave the 'best guy hosed in bad air', those five boat lenghts arent gonna be enough for you.

And what if there is more than one 'best guy'? Does that confuse you, or do you have a move for both (all) of them? Now that would be something.

-::Begin Rant::-
For phucksake, it's a move I've used before that I like. Plenty of people here are talking about port tacking the fleet or taking crazy flyers or other "moves" that paid off which could have some serious consequences if done wrong and no one is floggin them.

Whatever! My move sucks, I don't know how to sail, I'm a complete HACK, I sail to lose, I'm creepy, My only focus is screwing everyone over and then losing the race, I piss everyone off, I have no freinds, I'll never be the best guy in the fleet, I've never won a race, I can't figure out how to deal with more than one boat at a time let alone successfully deal with one boat, I could easily get burnt off the line and even if I won the start, I'd lose the race.......are all you armchair nay-saying skippers happy now? Good! Now why don't you go outside and go play hide and go phuck yourself.

When your done with that tell me where to show up so I can sail in your fleet and show you I'm not the chump you wish I was. If you want to show up on the North American Finn racing circuit, you'll find me there.

Is your favorite racing move to log onto a forum and criticize others? Well then, golf clap for you.
-::End Rant::-

Now back to more great racing moves from anarchists.

[Bow Monkey]

We all started somewhere and had a mentor or two whom we recall with fondness and respect and some races with them are etched forever in your memory. When I bought my first boat a B-25 (WarBird) and hence became the skipper I asked Dick to join us on our first Wedsnight race. Dick had just sold his J29 that I had crewed on for 3-4 years. Many of us know the excitement of that first race, and the nerves! Dick talked me through that first race of the season, kept us in clear 5-7 kts air and we sailed through most of the fleet and corrected first overall, including a SC70.

Tom was short on crew in a coastal 45 miler and the season Boat of the Year was on the line for him. His Hobie33 seemed to find air all year long when others were drifting but he still needed some Distance Race results. I signed on and was one of the few experienced racers on board for this race. Our fleet had the third or fourth start on a very light and shifty down wind line. We have all the gear ready and pole up for a chute hoist as we approach the line under main and #1, I am sneaking the head up behind the main with 20-30 seconds to go and our timing looks great. Tom, cool as ice, says lets hold off on the chute. Now , you look arround and see all these other boats ghosting along, the fleets ahead of us just 50-150 yard across the line. Tom wants to stick with the #1. I start looking for gear to barberhaul the sheet but Tom says let's just sit still for a while. Then Tom explains, see those chutes collapse every10-30 seconds, those chutes are not pulling while we still have attached flow on the jib, it's not great but it's not bad. For 3 hours we didn't touch the sail trim, Tom snaked a1/2 mile either side of the rhumb line always following his jib as we crawled through the fleets ahead of us and left our fleet in the dust. When the wind did come on we had literally miles on most of the fleet! I have used that jib downwind trick successfully on a number of really light air occaision since and we call it the Tom Tactic. I hope my local fleet does'nt see this thread!

I almost forgot another favorite racing moment. At the Milwaukee Grand Prix last year, there was a course change that the whole fleet seemed to overlook. I remember being set up on the layline for the old mark side by side with some boat named War Bird. When we tacked away to head to the correct mark, everyone else just looked at us funny and proceeded to follow the lead boats to the wrong mark like lemmings going over a cliff. There's nothing more satisfying then being the only boat to sail to the correct mark while the whole fleet blindly heads in the wrong direction.

[montey_burns]

-::Begin Rant::-
For phucksake, it's a move I've used before that I like. Plenty of people here are talking about port tacking the fleet or taking crazy flyers or other "moves" that paid off which could have some serious consequences if done wrong and no one is floggin them.

Whatever! My move sucks, I don't know how to sail, I'm a complete HACK, I sail to lose, I'm creepy, My only focus is screwing everyone over and then losing the race, I piss everyone off, I have no freinds, I'll never be the best guy in the fleet, I've never won a race, I can't figure out how to deal with more than one boat at a time let alone successfully deal with one boat, I could easily get burnt off the line and even if I won the start, I'd lose the race.......are all you armchair nay-saying skippers happy now? Good! Now why don't you go outside and go play hide and go phuck yourself.

When your done with that tell me where to show up so I can sail in your fleet and show you I'm not the chump you wish I was. If you want to show up on the North American Finn racing circuit, you'll find me there.

Is your favorite racing move to log onto a forum and criticize others? Well then, golf clap for you.
-::End Rant::-

Now back to more great racing moves from anarchists.

Hey Hack, the point you missed was your stated favorite move was to screw someone you said was better then you out of a start. Last time I checked the North American Finn racing circuit your so proud of consisted of 3 boats. So I guess that makes your move all the more effictive because you just eliminated half your competition. If you want to get your a$$ handed to you in a real fleet come sail pelicans on Lake Merit and I'll teach you a thing or three about starting tactics.

[barleymalt]

Montey shows up right on que to bayonet the wounded..

[rolltacker]

Hey Hack, the point you missed was your stated favorite move was to screw someone you said was better then you out of a start. Last time I checked the North American Finn racing circuit your so proud of consisted of 3 boats. So I guess that makes your move all the more effictive because you just eliminated half your competition. If you want to get your a$$ handed to you in a real fleet come sail pelicans on Lake Merit and I'll teach you a thing or three about starting tactics.

Please provide airfare and decent charter boat. I'll bring the beer and the knee brace.

[Melcryptovestimentaphiliac]

Hey Hack, the point you missed was your stated favorite move was to screw someone you said was better then you out of a start. Last time I checked the North American Finn racing circuit your so proud of consisted of 3 boats. So I guess that makes your move all the more effictive because you just eliminated half your competition. If you want to get your a$$ handed to you in a real fleet come sail pelicans on Lake Merit and I'll teach you a thing or three about starting tactics.

WOW, Who pissed in your beer Monty? Let at least one person have their own opinion on this site. Your the guy standing on the corner watching people step in a puddle and then reminding them of it. "Hey, you stepped in a puddle.Hey, you stepped in a puddle." Go get a blowjob or sail your pelican or something. Whatever you do to relax.

[montey_burns]

WOW, Who pissed in your beer Monty? Let at least one person have their own opinion on this site.

Congratulations Newbie you just had your chance to state your opinion and instead you proved your parents were closley related prior to marriage.