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The difference between having a mid-fleet = regatta and a=20 great regatta is often the ability to come back after a big mistake. As = much as=20 you may try to sail flawlessly from the outset, if you=92re human, = you=92re going to=20 make a mistake at some point, in some race, somewhere in the regatta. = Those who=20 make the fewest mistakes win races. Those who can claw their way back = from=20 mistakes win regattas.

The most important skill may be attitude. = If you=20 can stay positive after a mistake, you=92ll be better off than a = competitor who=20 allows their anger to blind them to the realities of the racecourse. = Once you=92ve=20 made the mistake, acknowledge it, and let it go. Begin your comeback by = taking a=20 few deep breaths to relax and then start attacking the fleet. It=92ll be = important=20 not to commit any more errors, so stay calm and alert.

After a = poor=20 start, your initial reaction may be to immediately tack for clean air. = This will=20 work well if the beat is square, giving you the ability to weave through = the=20 fleet and look for those all-important clear lanes. Tacking too soon = after the=20 start, however, may be dangerous; you may have a pack of boats on your = hip=20 that=92ll be nearly impossible to get through. You may have to crash = tack or duck=20 the entire fleet. Avoid these potential pitfalls by being patient and = tacking=20 into an open lane.
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Sometimes tacking is not the answer. = If the=20 first beat is heavily skewed, it may be better to stay put. In a major=20 windshift, you may also want to stay on your original tack. Don=92t = forget your=20 pre-race prep, if you determined before the start that you wanted to be = on this=20 tack, stick to your guns. Try footing off to increase your speed, = watching for=20 lanes as the boats ahead are forced to tack away. If you have to tack = off, but=20 plan to tack back quickly, consider tacking to weather of a = starboard-tack boat=20 rather than on their lee bow. You will then have a blocker protecting = your=20 lane.

Once things have settled down and you=92re in a clear lane, = start=20 paying close attention to windshifts and the boats ahead. Once you=92ve = devised a=20 windshift game plan, concentrate on sailing the beat well and out-sail = the=20 mid-fleet pack by sticking to basic tactics. Remember to be ahead and to = leeward=20 when leading boats to the next shift, and wave boats across when sailing = on a=20 lift. A common mistake that=92s made by the mid-fleet pack is losing = track of the=20 weather mark; often the pack gets to the layline too quickly, stacks up = in the=20 corner, and overstands the mark. Often you hear of someone passing 40 = boats in a=20 race when coming from behind. They=92ve likely made that big move by = passing packs=20 of boats that have all made the same mistake, not by knocking them off = one at a=20 time. Capitalize on the pack=92s mistakes.

The best opportunity = to pass the=20 pack is at the weather mark. The pack will tend to stack up on the = starboard=20 layline, with all but the leader going slow in bad air. Sail well to = leeward of=20 the starboard layline parade. As boats are forced to tack out farther to = clear=20 their air, you can expect a hole to open up, which will allow you to = sneak=20 around the mark ahead of the pack.

Working a hole to leeward of = the port=20 layline isn=92t the only way to pass boats at the weather mark. As much = as we try=20 to avoid overstanding, sometimes it can be advantageous. There could be = a=20 windshift at the mark, which slows the fleet as they approach. There = could also=20 be adverse current at the mark. Suddenly the fact that you=92re = overstanding means=20 that you=92re coming into the mark with pace, laying it, and looking = smart as you=20 pass the boats that had to tack twice or were pinching.

When = clawing back=20 on the first reach it=92s critical to make up distance on the leaders. = This is=20 purely a function of using boatspeed to minimize distance on the leaders = before=20 the reach mark. Avoid boat-to-boat battles. Before you close in on the = opponent=20 ahead, decide whether to go high over the top, or to dive low, breaking = through=20 their wind shadow. Decide early and set yourself up with some space in = order to=20 pass them. In some classes, when the first reach is tight, the passing = lane is=20 always high. Go high early, avoid luffing matches, and blast over the = pack. Only=20 when the reach is broad, or there=92s adverse current, should you = consider sailing=20 low on the first reach. And only go low if the pack is reaching high of = the=20 mark. This doesn=92t mean sailing below the mark, but instead, sailing = the fastest=20 course straight to the next mark, delaying any passing maneuvers until = you can=20 begin to fight for the inside overlap.

On the second reach leg = the=20 dynamics are a little different. The inside overlap position is going to = be=20 fought by going high. Avoid the pack that=92s fighting high and attack = from the=20 low road. The low-road move on the second reach is often an effective = way to=20 gain boats because you avoid the overlap battle and can sail faster on = your own.=20 As you approach the leeward mark, since you=92ve sailed low at first, = you=92ll be=20 able to reach up and pass the boats sailing low and slow into the=20 mark.

The run is always a good leg for catching boats. It=92s = important to=20 know how to round the weather mark. If you=92re headed when rounding the = mark,=20 bear away and set. If you=92re lifted, consider a jibe set. But there = are other=20 important considerations in determining which way to go on the run. It = always=20 comes back to what the wind is doing. If you believe that you=92ll get a = favorable=20 shift, it=92s often a good idea to sail away from the shift first so you = can=20 maximize your gain. However, if there=92s more pressure coming, always = sail for=20 the pressure. If you can stay in phase and in pressure, you=92ll always = gain. As=20 you near the leeward mark, always protect the inside position for the = rounding.=20 Remember, if you can=92t get an inside overlap, slow up and round behind = the pack,=20 not on the outside. Rounding outside of the pack will put you in dirty = air and=20 reduce the number of lanes available to you.

An awareness of how = the=20 breeze has shifted as you=92re rounding the leeward mark can be a key to = making a=20 comeback on the last beat. You want to get on the lifted tack right away = and=20 stay in phase. If you need to tack at the leeward mark, don=92t just go = around the=20 mark and tack; sail for a few moments, and look for a lane. If you need = to stay=20 on the tack, pinch up around the mark, and almost shoot head to wind to = get your=20 bow above the centerline of the boat ahead, clear of their dirty = air=97the worst=20 thing you can do is two quick clearing tacks. If you=92re coming out of = a crowded=20 leeward mark rounding and there are few lanes to be had, your only = recourse is=20 to sail in phase, go the right way. The only way you=92ll pass boats is = to sail=20 the shifts better than the next person, so let the others search = endlessly for=20 lanes, and let them gamble on the flyers. Just play the fleet, the wind, = and=20 make winning percentage moves.

Never give up on the last beat, = and always=20 finish at an end. You=92ll be surprised how easy it is to pass boats = near the=20 finish line. Race towards the favored end of the finish line, and = don=92t sail any=20 extra distance. If it=92s close, shoot the line. You=92ll be amazed how = a properly=20 executed shoot can win a finish.

Clawing back from a mistake = means never=20 making another mistake. The strategies and tactics don=92t change, only = your=20 perception of the situation at hand. There=92ll be dirty air, fewer = lanes, and=20 lots of traffic. Turn that into your advantage by waiting for other = boats to=20 make mistakes. Sail better than the rest of the fleet, stick to what = works, and=20 usually you=92ll get back in the hunt.