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	=A9David = Norton

Choosing the faster side of the = first leg of a=20 race is critical to getting an early jump on the bulk of the = fleet,=20 and it=92s something you can usually predict. Careful study, a = disciplined=20 approach, and simply summoning up the courage to make the call are = essential ingredients. Few sailors have the resources America=92s = Cup=20 sailors enjoy, but both ashore, and on the water before the start, = you can=20 do quite a bit of homework to help you make the right call. =

Make a=20 habit of reviewing your tide tables (if you=92re on the coast) and = forecasts=20 in the newspaper or internet, before leaving the dock. In = addition, take=20 the time to ask local sailors what to expect; beyond the normal = wind and=20 current info, you may learn some surprising things. On one = Midwestern=20 lake, the cows near the shoreline face downwind, and the stronger = the=20 wind, the more neatly they line up. In Newport, R.I., dense dew on = the=20 grass early in the morning indicates a strong southwester will = fill. Some=20 of what you hear may not help you choose the faster side, but the = process=20 always helps orient you to the race area.

Once you leave = the dock,=20 the same applies to watching the wind. Track changes in the wind = by=20 recording compass readings, including the time. Then, well before = the=20 start, study the water carefully. Look for dark patches of water=20 indicating more wind or a significant current effect. Study one = section of=20 the horizon at a time, standing up so you have a greater height of = eye.=20 Use polarized sunglasses because they help contrast the color of = the=20 water, and let your eyes blink naturally. There are many sources = to use=20 when reading the wind: flags, smoke stacks on shore, cruising = sailboats,=20 birds taking off, ripples on the water, the direction of anchored = boats,=20 as well as your competitors. Look to see if the boats on one side = are=20 heeling in more wind.

When you look upwind, split the leg = into=20 three sections: left, middle, and right. After a couple of minutes = of=20 study, make a guess as to which side seems better. Select a = section to=20 head for, and state your findings aloud=97this is part of giving = yourself=20 the courage to make a choice. Your first instinct will usually be=20 correct.

Now run a test; the best way is to arrange a = tune-up with=20 a competitor. While you sail upwind on one side of the course, = your=20 partner sails up the other. After 2 minutes, tack toward each = other. Note=20 which boat gains, and after crossing, head toward the opposite = side for=20 another 2 minutes. Tack back together and note the difference. = Usually the=20 boat on the same side will have gained.

Return to the = starting=20 area and make a second visual observation. Ask yourself, is the = wind any=20 different now? The key at this point is to make a definite = decision to=20 favor one section of the course. Sometimes you may think you=92ll = get a=20 shift going one way but stronger wind, the other. If that=92s the = choice, I=20 like to head for stronger wind because it gives me more speed and = often=20 more options.



	=A9David = Norton

Set up your starting strategy so = you=92re heading=20 toward the side you favor. If your plan is to sail to the right = side,=20 start on the right end of the line. The less sure you are of your = choice,=20 the closer to the middle of the line you should start (see = diagram).=20

Once the race starts, head for your side at top speed. = Right or=20 wrong, speed always counts. Strategically, your biggest decision = now is to=20 monitor the rest of the fleet and consider whether to carry on or = switch=20 sides. My first instinct is always to stick with my original call. = But=20 conditions change, so one crewmember should continually analyze = whether=20 you=92re gaining or losing; if you decide your side is losing = within a=20 minute or two, that=92s the time to tack and stay in contact with = the=20 leaders.

Key indications may be that a new wind is blowing = in from=20 the opposite side, or maybe a few boats are making huge gains. But = before=20 taking action, ask yourself, "Will the new wind still be there = when I=20 arrive?" If you have any doubt, avoid chasing the new wind. If you = decide=20 to go for it, pick a spot just after a boat has crossed ahead of = you or=20 close behind. This boat will become a blocker as you cross the = course.=20 It=92s OK to dip behind several boats if you see better wind; an = early loss=20 may translate into a big gain later.

What=92s the biggest = mistake=20 sailors make when they=92ve decided to switch sides? It=92s second = guessing=20 themselves and tacking back again. The extra tacks cause you to = fall=20 farther behind, and your indecisiveness will make it even harder = to catch=20 up.

Later in the race watch for major windshifts or current = shears=20 (abrupt shifts in the direction the water is moving), and, when = planning=20 to go downwind, consider what you learned upwind. When you cross a = current=20 shear marked by surface debris or irregular, choppy water, analyze = your=20 performance. If you=92re suddenly sailing slower than boats on the = other=20 side of the shear, consider tacking back across it.

Some = years ago=20 in a Finn Olympic Trials race, I learned the value of getting on = the=20 course early and having the courage to believe in what I = discovered. I=20 found a current shear halfway up the beat during my pre-race = tune-up. To=20 the windward side of the shear, the water was flowing toward the = windward=20 mark. All week long at this regatta, the right side had been = favored=20 thanks to a predictable starboard windshift. But in this race, = after the=20 start, I headed left and crossed the shear while the fleet headed = right as=20 usual. I rounded the first mark with a comfortable = lead.

Don=92t=20 forget which part of the course was most beneficial when you = consider your=20 strategy for the downwind leg. Well before rounding the windward = mark,=20 announce where you plan to sail on the run and if you should do a=20 bear-away spinnaker set or jibe set. My rule of thumb is that if = the other=20 jibe is favored by 15 degrees or more, a jibe set is a better = option.=20 However, with many boats, and in many fleets, it can be more = efficient to=20 set, accelerate to full speed, and then jibe, being careful to = keep your=20 wind clear.

Wind patterns caused by the surrounding land = repeat=20 themselves on the water. When you learn what works, put this = knowledge=20 into your game plan. Keep notes for future regattas. Recently I = sailed in=20 a college alumni regatta in Chicago. I reviewed my notebooks from = racing=20 four times in the Timme Angsten college regatta between 1969 and = 1972.=20 Once I started sailing I was pleasantly surprised to find that my = old=20 observations still held true and, in fact, they helped me win the = regatta.=20 Afterwards, I added a few new passages to my youthful thoughts in = case I=20 ever have to pick a side in Chicago again.