Coaches Corner

Getting Off the Starting Line - Part 1, Information that helps you get a good start

There are four helpful things to know that may enable you to have a good start. They are the favored end of the
line, a line sight, the current effect and the length of the starting line. These things are the starting
“homework” that you should attempt to do prior to each race. The more you practice getting this information and
including it in your pre-race routine the easier it becomes to recognize. Although you may get some good starts
without doing the homework, consistently having this information will give you an advantage over your
competitors. I can tell you from my coaching experience that the majority of sailors at most regattas do not make
it a habit to find out this information. However, with a little practice it is easy to do. So, lets take a look at some
of the ways to do our starting homework.

FAVORED END: The favored end of the starting line is the end that is further upwind, but not always the end that
is closer to the windward mark. Starting at the favored end can often give a huge advantage over the
competitors that don't. There are several simple ways to find the favored end and I have described them here.

Center of the line head to wind: Sail to the center of the start line and steer your boat head to wind.
Your bow will point nearer to the end that is favored and further upwind.
Pin end sighting perpendicular: Sail to the port side of the port starting buoy (pin) and steer head to
wind. Site perpendicularly from your boat through the pin buoy. If your line of sight is ahead of the
committee boat then the pin is further upwind. If your line of sight is behind the committee boat then the
boat end is further upwind.
Sheet in at port and starboard ends: Sail across the line at the pin end on port tack. If the committee
boat is aft of the window in your sail the pin is favored. At the boat end of the starting line, if the pin end
is aft of your window then the boat is favored.
Compass: Take a head to wind reading and then a reading through both ends of the start line. The
favored end is revealed where the difference in the readings is less than perpendicular (< 90 degrees).
Sheeting angle on port and starboard: Sail down the line on starboard and cleat or hold the
mainsheet in place. Gibe and sail down the line on port. If your sail is luffing the boat is favored. If your
sail is over sheeted the pin is favored. Similarly, when your sailing down the line the favored end
requires a sheeting angle tighter than a beam reach. In a large fleet you can often know the favored end
just by observing the sheeting angles of the port and starboard boats around the starting line.
Get a partner: Have a partner sail off the pin end while you sail off the boat end at the same time. The
boat that crosses ahead reveals the favored end.
Coach tells you which end is favored: Have your coach use his compass and tell you which end is
favored.

LINE SIGHT: A line sight is a stationary third point of reference that tells you how close you are to the startingline. Knowing where the starting line is can be essential to getting a good start and I can tell you from
experience that less than 20% of the sailors in most fleets will actually know where the starting line is. These
sailors are the ones near the ends and the ones that have line sights. To get a line sight sail to starboard of the
committee boat and sight through the flag (or marker) through the pin end and then to an object on shore. When
you approach the starting line keep an eye on your line sight. When you sight from your position through the pin
and your line of sight is in front of the object on shore, you are behind the line. When your line of sight through
the pin meets the object on shore you are on the line. If your line of sight is behind the object you better start
backing up! There are several problems that often occur when attempting to get a line sight so I have listed
them here with their solutions.
The committee boat is a 40 foot yacht: If you can't see the starting flag from the starboard side of the
RC boat, sail directly under the starting flag on the port side and then sight through the pin to the shore.
There is no shore: Look for an object on an anchored pin boat. There is often a person sighting the
line looking for OCS sailors.
There is no shore and no pin boat: Look for a reverse line sight on the shore to starboard of the
committee boat. If the boat is too big or there is no starboard shore you must keep your references in
your sights as long as possible. As you approach the line keep an eye on both the port and starboard
starting markers. If you are in a group and you do not move forward enough and see the markers you
will not know where the line is or when to sheet in to start the race.

CURRENT: A tidal flow or current will have an effect on your boat as you approach the starting line. It can be a
huge advantage to know what that effect is, especially as you position your boat and begin to control it slowly on
the approach. At times the current effect can be dramatic and managing it well is the key factor to getting a good
start. Here is a simple way to find out what the current is doing. Sail directly behind the committee boat on
starboard tack and stop. Control your boat slowly and drift to the port side of the RC boat and then up to the
starting line. Notice whether it is easy to stay in place or if you are forced away from the boat, over the line or
behind the line. This will tell you how the current will effect your approach to the starting line. It is then up to you
to compensate for the effect and take advantage of it.
Here are a few things to remember about current on the starting line. If the current is with the wind
direction there will likely be a fleet sag in the middle you could take advantage of, especially if you have a line
sight. If the current is against the wind there may be a bulge in the middle of the fleet that you should avoid.
Setting up early and holding back nearer to an end may give you the best starting result. If the current is left to
right or right to left, the lay lines to the starting markers change in proportion to the strength of the current flow.
You need to compensate on your approach. If you want to win the pin in a right to left current you should
compensate for the current and for the boats that will get rafted on the pin! The same goes for a boat end start
in a left to right current flow. Some of the best boat end starts in a right to left current I had came when I timed
the drift properly behind the committee boat and then up to line just as the gun goes. The boats set up to
weather of me as we drifted behind the RC were late.

LENGTH: Recognizing how long the line actually is tells you how much time it would take to sail to either end
from your current approach position. Changing ends may be beneficial in oscillating wind conditions or if you are
focused on beating specific competitors. A common example is when the race committee sets a starting line for
the median wind direction and on your approach to the favored end you recognize the wind will be shifting
shortly before the start. The wind shift will change the favored end of the line so you bail out of your current
approach and sail to the new favored end. Having an idea of the sailing time to the new favored end dictates
how much decision time you have before bailing out to change ends.

I hope that you will make it a habit and do your homework before each start. With a little practice you will
recognize quickly which of these 4 features are important and can be taken advantage of to get off the line well.
Good luck and good sailing!

Kurt Taulbee is a 3 time US SAILING TEAM member in the Laser Class and US SAILING Level 2 Certified
Coach. He can be reached at 727-631-7025 or kurt@sailfit.com.