Well, my starts always suck and I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I will try what tammi5256 does next time and see if it works.
What am I doing wrong?
Y... Someone else made the crucial point, that you have to be looking at boats 2-3 boat lengths away - not those right next to you - its too late for them. If you think someone might try to get "in your hole", let the boom out and bear away - trying not to accelerate at the same time. While ever they are clear astern, you can do this, you don't have to luff up until they are overlapped.
I always have great difficulty getting out of being stationary and trying to get out beating (i.e. being caught in irons when tacking, etc.) I can do it OK but it takes time and I lose distance to leeward.
Ian
A good technique for getting the boat started again If you get stuck in irons on the starting line is to grab your boom, pulling the sail towards you over centerline - over-trimming the sail. That sends the bow down and the boat will start to move forward. If your really in irons you may need to pull your centerboard up a bit first. The boat will start to slide to leeward and then "bite" - put the board down, trim the sail appropriately and your sailing. The reason you are initally sliding to leeward is because when there's no air flow over the sails there's no lateral resistance-the boat slides sideways. Once you get moving the boat will start to track because the lateral resistance from water flowing across the centerboard kicks in. As Confucius say, "No Flowy, No Tracky."