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For nearly a decade, leeward gates have been = used to=20 reduce congestion at the leeward mark. Before race committees started = using=20 gates, the tactics were simple if you were leading: Protect the inside. = But=20 today, gate tactics are more complicated than that. Now you have to ask=20 yourself, "Which gate is closer? Which way do I want to go up the next = beat?=20 Where=92s the traffic?"

If you=92re the boat behind and you have = the answers=20 to these questions, you=92ll be able to gain. If you choose the correct = mark and=20 work the traffic flowing through the gate, you=92ll make up distance=20 quickly.

How do you determine which gate is favored? Most race = committees=20 will set the gates early. Before the start, you should sail upwind to a = position=20 abreast of the gate. Line the marks up using a hand-bearing compass. If = you=92re=20 doing this from the starboard or right-hand side of the marks and the = bearing is=20 90 degrees, then you know the gates are square for a true wind of 180 = degrees.=20 Do a quick head-to-wind shot and determine the bias of the gate. As = tactician, I=20 write this down on the boat near my upwind numbers so I know which gate = is=20 favored compared to the true wind direction.

Sometimes the race = committee=20 won=92t set the gate until after the start. This makes it harder to tell = which=20 gate is favored. Tactics and strategy aside, the best way to select the = favored=20 mark is to judge which mark appears to be bigger. If both marks are = identical in=20 dimension, the mark that appears to be bigger is closer. I like to ask = my crew=20 for their opinion to help confirm which gate looks favored. If both = marks appear=20 to be the same size, formulate your strategy for the upcoming=20 beat.

Prioritizing the upwind leg

After you devise = a game=20 plan, decide which side of the gate will allow you to execute it. For = example,=20 if you want to go to the right side on the next beat, round the left = gate mark.=20 If you want to go left, round the right gate mark.

At the Acura = SORC in=20 Miami this year, the right side of the Farr 40 course was heavily = favored. It=20 was so favored that we spent the last mile of the beat on the starboard = layline.=20 Knowing this, for the next beat I wanted a position that would allow me = to=20 continue on port toward the favored right side, so I tried to get around = the=20 left-hand gate mark (looking downwind).

If you can=92t decide = which side of=20 the beat is favored, round the left gate mark. When you need to tack = after the=20 rounding, you=92re tacking onto starboard with right of way. Let=92s say = you round=20 the left gate mark at the same time as a competitor rounds the right = gate mark.=20 Then you both tack; now you=92re on starboard and they=92re on port. If = the gate was=20 square to the wind, you=92ll have right of way, and they=92ll have to = duck you. Then=20 you=92re a length ahead.

Also, if you have a bad rounding at the = right-hand=20 gate mark, you may not be able to tack if you=92re pinned by boats that = rounded=20 behind you. They=92re on starboard, and you=92re tacking onto = port.

So far,=20 the process of choosing which mark to round might sound easy, but I=92ve = rarely=20 been in the position where the decision=92s so easy to make. When = you=92re in the=20 thick of the race, traffic can change everything.

Tactics in=20 traffic

Most people deal with traffic every day on their = commute to=20 work. I=92ll bet some of them have shortcuts that are longer in miles = but faster=20 because there=92s less traffic. The same principle holds true at the = leeward gate.=20

The lead boat has the most options. But the trailing boat has = plenty of=20 choices as well. If you=92re close astern there are a number of tricks = you can use=20 to get ahead. First, block the lead boat=92s wind. If you=92re = successful, you may=20 be able to force it into a slow rounding or away from the gate mark that = you=20 want to round.

Because the leader has so many options, it=92s = easy to make=20 them doubt their decision if you make it appear you want to round the = opposite=20 mark. Sometimes they=92ll be indecisive and switch marks at the last = second just=20 to stay ahead of you. Once they=92ve committed, turn and head for the = other mark.=20

If you=92ve managed to confuse them, you may get the favored = mark. Or you=20 may force them to make a boathandling error. Even if you don=92t, = you=92ll have=20 clear air at the opposite mark. Follow the leader around the same mark = only when=20 it leads to a heavily favored side of the course. Make sure there=92s = enough space=20 between the two boats so you don=92t have to tack out immediately to = clear your=20 air.

In the Miami example, the right side of the beat was favored = and=20 everyone knew it. The fleet fought for the left gate mark and this made = for a=20 lot of extra distance sailed in dirty air at the bottom of the run. = Boats lined=20 up and waited their turn to round the gate mark. If you chose the right = gate=20 mark, instead, had a good rounding, a nice speed build, and then tacked, = you=92d=20 often gain and still be headed toward the favored right side.

To = be=20 successful you must be able to change your choice of mark at the last = second.=20 This means your bow team needs to be ready for anything. You might tell = them=20 you=92re thinking left-hand gate, but at six lengths out, if it=92s = obvious the left=20 mark will be jammed with boats, the crew needs to be ready for a = last-minute=20 change of plan.

There are times when it pays to slow down. = Let=92s say=20 you=92ve fought hard for the inside position at the left gate mark so = that you can=20 go hard right up the beat. If there are boats that have rounded ahead of = you,=20 don=92t ride their transoms. If you=92re too close, you=92ll be spit = out, have to=20 tack, and be heading toward the unfavored side of the course.

As = soon as=20 you get the inside overlap on your group, douse the spinnaker and start = focusing=20 on exiting the mark. The distance between your bow and the boat in front = is=20 crucial. If you can drop back a boat length and make a perfect tight = rounding,=20 you=92ll be on a track toward the good side of the beat until most of = the=20 competition has been forced to clear out.