Hope you all survived the 20-year storm.  Our sailors were very keen to get out on Sunday and we managed to squeeze in a quick session before 11:00.

I like the photo below of Zen charging out for his session.  Reminds me of Paul Foerster who won 3 Olympic medals for the USA and was notorious in his training for sailing really hard from the moment he left the beach until he returned.  Its something I try to instill in my teams I coach.  If you are going to have a rest, then stop.  Just resting while sailing only reinforces bad habits.  Well Done Zen !

This week our Laser Coach Ben Walkemeyer gives a rundown on some different pre-start maneuvers that can be practiced and used in race scenarios.

Key pre-start manoeuvres and when to use them

By Ben Walkemeyer

Having the ability to create, maintain, nd defend a good position on the start line is fundamental to executing a good start. Here we look at five common pre-start maneuvers and when each maneuver should be used. Every second is critical during the final 2-3 minutes before a start and any delay in boat handling can be the difference between defending or losing a leeward gap, so breaking this down should allow you to make instant decisions during the intense pre-start period and select the correct maneuver for each situation.

We are constantly looking for opportunities on the racecourse. Once we have identified an opportunity, we want to take action to convert it into an advantage. In the pre-start, having a leeward gap is an advantage because this gives you a space to accelerate into and have more freedom with your upwind groove off the line. If a windward gap opens up above you in the pre-start, this is an opportunity. To convert this opportunity into an advantage, we want to convert the windward gap into a leeward gap. There is a sense of urgency here because if you hesitate then the gap may disappear.

If the windward gap is small then the correct maneuver is a windward step. This maneuver shifts the boat to windward by one to two boat widths. A windward step involves backing the sail by pushing the boom and sculling the tiller to windward to shift the boat directly to windward. This must be performed as a two-step process though because the rules forbid sculling and backing the sail simultaneously. The first step is to luff to just below head to wind and then back the boom slightly to pivot the bow to windward. Step two is to release the boom when the boat is head to wind (or slightly past) and then repeatedly scull hard to windward to push the stern up the windward. It is important not to scull below close-hauled because this would also breach rule 42. The lighter the wind is, the further you may need to push the boom out. In strong wind or waves it’s easy to back the boom too far or for too long and spin the boat into an accidental tack. You will also need to apply more bodyweight on the leeward side of the deck when backing the boom in strong wind in order to keep the boat flat.

If a large windward gap opens up then the correct maneuver is a double tack. This is simply two quick tacks performed consecutively. The obvious risk here is that you will be tacking onto port and sailing towards the starboard-tack boat above you for a moment before tacking back onto starboard, so the tacks must be executed well and fast and the windward gap must be large enough for you to complete both tacks before the windward boat needs to avoid you. Use a lot of roll and big tiller movements to tack the boat fast, being careful not to stall the boat or lose flow between tacks.

Once you have established a good pre-start position, your focus turns to maintaining that position. To maintain a position you must maintain flow over your foils to have the ability to accelerate when required and avoid slipping to leeward.

In strong wind the fleet will usually set up further back from the start line than in light wind. When approaching the line in this situation you want to maintain slow flow. This means maintaining just enough forward movement to keep flow over the foils. This is the simplest maneuver and just involves trimming the sail slightly every now and then to keep the forward flow.

When the wind is lighter and the fleet is setting up closer to the start line, it’s often not an option to keep slow flow forwards without breaking the line. In this instance you can use a combination of forward and back movements to keep foil flow. Reversing the boat switches the flow from forwards to backwards over the foils, and the flow switches surprisingly easily as long as there is some flow there. The forward and back maneuver involves reversing the boat by backing the boom and pushing the tiller to leeward so that the boat bears away as it reverses. Remember to apply bodyweight to the leeward side of the deck when reversing to make the boat bear away. Once you’ve reversed to an angle below close-hauled you accelerate the boat forward again to switch back to forward flow and shoot up to close-hauled or higher with the speed. You should end up in the same position that you were in before the maneuver, but with more flow. If executed well, you can actually re-enter your gap closer to the windward boat than you previously were. Repeat this process as required to maintain flow. Aim to maintain a slight overlap on the boat to windward of you throughout the maneuver so they can’t come down and steal your gap.

If you create a leeward gap pre-start then there will often be boats looking to enter that gap and set up for their own start. You must be aware of boats threatening to do this by frequently looking behind you to windward and leeward. There is nothing worse on a start line than working hard to create and maintain a leeward gap, only to have it stolen in the final 30 seconds!

If you see a boat approaching then the best maneuver in all conditions is a swoop and shoot. Bear away into your leeward gap and create some extra speed and flow by doing this. This closes your gap and makes it look less attractive to the approaching boat. After bearing away, immediately shoot back up head to wind to move back towards the windward side of your gap, thus reopening your leeward gap for yourself. The transition between the swoop (bear away) and the shoot needs to be a fast round-up and leeward heel so you can pump the boat flat to initiate the shoot into head to wind. Timing is everything with this maneuver; do it too early and you will reopen your leeward gap before the approaching boat has passed and they will be able to enter your gap, do it too late and the approaching boat can become overlapped as a leeward boat while you’re bearing away and they can luff you up and enter the gap beneath you.

Summary

These five key pre-start maneuvers, and when to use each one, are summarised below.

  1. Windward Step – Convert small windward gap into leeward gap.
  2. Double Tack – Convert large windward gap into leeward gap.
  3. Slow Flow – Maintain position in strong wind.
  4. Forward & Back – Maintain position in light wind.
  5. Swoop & Shoot – Defend leeward gap.

Now it’s time to practice all five maneuvers in training; you can do this with or without other boats in your training sessions. Try to find a buoy in the water that you can use as a reference for your position and boat movement. These maneuvers require very refined boat handling skills and a good sense of adaptability across different wind and wave conditions. Initially they will be difficult to perform and require pure focus. With a lot of practice, the maneuvers will become more natural.