The perfect start

tammi5256

New Member
That's the question. Is there such a thing as "the Perfect Start". Ive raced lots of big boats but am fairly new to laser racing. Have raced a lot lately in smaller laser fleets (20 boats) and my techniques work pretty well. I'm interested to hear about different secrets to a good start in larger fleets. My basic approach (pin favored start) is to setup out of phase from the majority of the fleet which characteristically heads out to the right of the rc. Depending on wind strength (if it's light I stick on the line) I'll head down the line on starboard with around 1 minute 30 to go - scan upwind looking for pressure and direction, with 1 minute or so left tack, and head back up the line towards the starboard tackers making sure I have a clear lane to windward so when I decide to tack to starboard I'm not blocked. As I head down the line I see most of the fleet is bunched near the RC with a few guys setting up out in front. My perspective gives me a great picture of what's going on and allows me to tack below the lead guys coming down the line. I tack just below and head up to the line on starboard. I might need to stall the boat some but usually can head with speed towards the pin and get bow out. It,s fun to see the fleet coming towards you and try to thread the needle!
 
Your approach is also my preferred way of starting. I find you have to modify it slightly for bigger fleet starts. At the weekend I was at an event with 35 plus lasers starting on a not very long line. There was precious little room left with 2 and a half minutes to go. You had to be on the line early. Even then it was hard to stay there. Waves were knocking us backwards, and other competitors were moving forward very aggressively. On at least two occasions I lost track of where I was, and what other competitors were doing, and in the blink of an eye I was back in the second row. I managed better when I became more aggressive myself, but each day is different and no doubt the next time I try to be aggressive, every one else will be conservative, and I'll get pinged OCS. Such is the joys of big fleet racing.
 
In large fleets there can be an amazing amount of line sag. So much so that with thirty seconds people are setting up all the way down the line, and you can go reaching across above them with plenty of room.

It's a good thing to keep an eye on.
 
I don't believe there is such a thing as a perfect start. You can have the best start. All I hope for is speed, on the line, in clear air, in the right direction.
 
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.

I've read that many books telling you how to start well and they all say that you must get yourself a hole to leeward and defend it. But they never tell you how to defend it when boats are racking up right next to each other and pushing one another up. Am I missing something? You can't push them back down, you don't have a choice but to go up. So how do you keep the hole to leeward? The only thing I've ever seen anyone else do to defend their spot was to steer zig-zags before the start. Is that an option?

If I try and start in the front row I usually get pushed over the line or into the RC boat or something and end up having to go around the end etc. Majorly stuffs up my start! So I decided to try just starting further back so I don't get pushed OCS or into the RC boat. Then the start sucks cause I'm in everyone else's dirty air. Not only that, but because I have absolutely no idea what I am doing I just pick a spot and go there, and then get completely abused by the other more competative people telling me to get out of the way and that there is no room there - and often end up getting pushed out of the spot I was going for. What am I doing wrong?
 
You can only "defend your hole" (interesting expression eh? - maybe another bumper sticker for gouvernail) before others become overlapped to lee of you 9804. 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.
And if others yell at you that there's no room - don't let them bluff you! If you know there is room get in there. Thats just their tactic for protecting their hole - bluff!
Thats all the theory anyway - like you I'm not very good at applying it.
 
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?

It really is up to timing and boat handling (something I preach but also find it very difficult to practice, currently getting about 1 in 5 right). You have to be on the line well early and work really hard to keep your position. The key is not to get too near to the RC boat but try to line up a few boat lengths away, that means you can squeeze those who came in too near out, but you have to have timed it right so you don't get there yourself with 1 minutes to go. If you're left with boats between you and the RC boat at the gun you have to work really hard to pop out in front.
You can help this by having all your controls except kicker set for the conditions well before the gun. Only pull your kicker on in the last few seconds before you go. That leaves you free to work like crazy in the first 100 metres after the gun to keep clear air.
 
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.

Presumably you need to watch how much you bear away in relation to how close you are as, when you bear away so you transom line (projected) will move towards the boat behind and thus the act of bearing away might risk making you overlapped windward boat (thus having to keep clear). Must depend of distance to boat behind. But then immediately you head back up so you will break the overlap and no longer be windward boat.

Ian
 
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. At a regatta the other week one person's start technique was at about 2 or 3 mins before the start he went and sat on the mark at the starboard end of the line (literally a foot behind it). And he just sat there, not touching the mark or anything. Anybody trying to come in to windward got shouted at and nobody really interfered with him from leeward. I did not see what he then did in the last few seconds before the gun (concentrating on my own start) but invariably hi came out of the start very well. (It was fairly light airs)

Ian
 
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."
 
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."

Many thanks. That is what I do and I can do it OK(ish) - though probably could do it better and slicker. However, I would not want to be doing it on a starting line as I fall off too far to leeward whilst picking up speed. I also practice the "in irons stationary" and tack and get moving as well. I guess the more often you try something the slicker and better it gets - and I have some more practising to do.

Ian
 
You can totally use that technique on the starting line. I do it all the time but it's more a micro move to keep me in position rather than the full-blown get up and go move. I find that as I'm sitting on the line the boat wants to go past head-to and all of the sudden I'm stuck on port tack so if I do the move just before I can keep my starboard position where I want to be. I use it in combination with backing the sail to hold my position on the line. Don't be shy - give it a try!:D
 

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