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When you go from racing in your local 10-boat = fleet to a=20 50-boat regatta, life on the racecourse changes. In a small fleet, if = you make a=20 mistake it=92s possible to tack away, find clear air, get some leverage, = and get=20 back in the game. In a larger fleet, or on a small racecourse, there=92s = less=20 elbowroom and mistakes are amplified=97especially at the start and at = mark=20 roundings. So before you head out to your next big event, commit to = memory the=20 following high-risk tactical moves that always seem as though they=92ll = work, but=20 actually have a low probability of paying off.

1. Claiming = the=20 caboose. What do you do when you=92re sailing down the line on = starboard tack=20 with 2 minutes to go, unable to jibe through the wall of port tackers = returning=20 to find a hole? You=92ll often see people wait to jibe until they reach = the end of=20 the port-tack train. The last starboard-tack boat to jibe is the = caboose, and=20 being the caboose is like being the last guy into the supermarket = parking lot,=20 unable to find a spot. On the starting line, all the holes will be = taken.=20

If the line of returning port-tack boats is too thick to jibe = into, head=20 upwind a boatlength or two and either jibe or tack. Getting back into = the=20 port-tack parade sooner will increase your odds of finding a hole on the = line.

2. Sailing down the line on port tack and putting your = bow to=20 leeward of the boat in front of you. How many times have you had = your bow=20 pinned to leeward of a boat in front of you, so close that you=92re = unable to tack=20 into a great hole that opens up? When you=92re stuck to leeward you have = to wait=20 until the weather boat takes the next good hole that comes along, = leaving you=20 waiting for table scraps. Instead of getting stuck, slow your boat by = easing the=20 sails or by making large S-turns so that your bow is directly behind the = weather=20 boat=92s transom. This will give you the freedom to move as you like and = get the=20 hole that you want.

3. Sailing up the middle of the course = when the=20 wind is light and the puffs are significant. If the wind is puffy, = and the=20 puffs are moving quickly, you can defend from the middle when people = from the=20 edges are coming across with pressure. Unfortunately, when the puffs are = moving=20 slowly, or in lighter air when the pressure differences are often great = (such as=20 Biscayne Bay or Tampa Bay), the edges of the racecourse can be better. = When the=20 puffs are moving slowly, and you=92re on the edge of the fleet, you can = be patient=20 and wait for the extra pressure and use that pressure to tack and cross = those in=20 the middle of the course. The only option for boats in the middle is to = tack in=20 order to maintain leverage, but they=92re losing all the time because = you=92ll=20 likely be sailing over the top of them with better speed.



	Stuart = Streuli

	When it's light = and puffy,=20 stay away from the middle of the course. The wind is better on the = edges.

4. Always demanding = your starboard=20 rights. You=92re on starboard, on a lift, or, for some reason, = you=92re=20 determined to get to the left side of the racecourse and a port tacker = is=20 coming. How many times have you gotten worked up and felt as though you = had to=20 enforce your rights by yelling, "Starboard!" as loud as you could, only = to have=20 your rival tack on your lee bow so perfectly that you=92re forced to = tack away?=20 Once you tack, you=92re on a header, probably sailing to less pressure = and away=20 from the best side of the racecourse. In a situation such as this it=92s = usually=20 better to let the port tacker cross. If you want to get left, wave them = by. Tell=20 them they owe you one and sail for the good wind or current. It may feel = strange=20 to let them off the hook so easily, but when they cross and later tack = to=20 weather and behind, you=92ll feel better about letting them = go.

5.=20 Tacking away from the layline for clear air. You=92re on port tack, = sailing=20 towards the starboard-tack layline as you near the weather mark, and = someone=20 tacks right on your nose. It=92s tempting to throw the boat into an = immediate=20 clearing tack, but before you fall victim to the knee-jerk reaction of = tacking=20 away for clear air, consider whether it=92s better to live in the bad = air or foot=20 off until you reach the starboard layline. If you=92re really close to = layline,=20 the odds are that the wind on the other tack (underneath all the boats = on the=20 layline)will not be any better. Tacking away will require you to do = three extra=20 tacks. In a bigger boat, or in light and lumpy conditions, three tacks = in short=20 order could be deadly.

6. Tacking shy of the starboard = layline.=20 Sometimes, as you reach the starboard layline, it looks as though you = can tack=20 just shy of the layline and to leeward of a pack of boats, pull off a = perfect=20 luff, and actually make the mark. I=92m not sure why this always looks = so good,=20 but inevitably it turns out badly (except in the rare circumstance when = the boat=20 in front of you actually hooks the mark and drags it to leeward four = lengths,=20 allowing you to get around.) It=92s usually much better to go with the=20 conservative duck of boats that are on layline and find a spot where = you=92re=20 slightly overstood. Approaching the mark on starboard tack, slightly = above the=20 fray, will allow you to close-reach over boats luffing to get around the = mark,=20 and let you watch the entertainment.

7. Jibing right on the = team in=20 front of you when they jibe early on the run. This is usually a = sound=20 tactic, but before you go attacking, make sure to look over your transom = to see=20 if your competitor is suckering you to jibe into the bad air of the = fleet=20 behind, which has already jibed. If the boat in front of you is certain = that=20 you=92ll jibe on him, it may lure you into jibing and then immediately = jibe back=20 into clean air, only to laugh at you as they sail away.

8. = Taking the=20 low road when everyone else is going high. Immediately after = rounding the=20 weather mark, you sail your normal course and realize everyone else is = sailing=20 hotter angles. You tell yourself that they=92re sailing away from the = mark, and it=20 seems it would be better to go low. So you work low, underneath the dark = cloud=20 of disturbed air from the fleet rounding the mark, only to find that the = whole=20 fleet is now rolling you. If you jibe, the situation is just as = hopeless, and=20 things look grim. Where should you go? If the seas are flat and the = waves are=20 not surfable it=92s usually better to stay high and keep your air clean. = Staying=20 high with clean air (outside or on the edge of the weather mark Bermuda=20 Triangle) allows everyone else to make the mistake of sailing in the = disturbed=20 air zone while you sail in clean air and go fast. When the waves are = more=20 powerful than the wind, you may find that going low and catching a wave = or two=20 may get you low enough to get separation from the fleet.

9. = Not=20 keeping your nose clean on the reach. If there=92s a boat close to = your bow=20 and a boat behind that=92s tempting you into a luffing matching, be = careful that=20 the boat behind doesn=92t take you up to a point where your bow becomes = hooked to=20 windward of the boat in front of you. When this happens the boat in = front of you=20 will probably react by luffing you to the moon.

If the boat = behind=20 succeeds in initiating the luff, and getting you and the boat in front = of you to=20 take each other out of the race, he may quietly sail below the two of = you and=20 pass you to leeward. The best way to control this situation is to luff, = but=20 control your speed in order to keep your bow clean and have the ability = to turn=20 down.

10. Not thinking about windshadows on the run. How = many=20 times have you thought about jibing back to the middle of the racecourse = in=20 order to reconnect with the fleet, only to let the fleet behind you jibe = first.=20 You jibe late, only to find that you=92re in the entire fleet=92s bad = air. Your=20 other option was to keep going well past layline so that you could jibe = and=20 reach back to the leeward mark in clean air. It=92s important to know = exactly=20 where your opponent=92s windshadow falls. Practice sailing in = someone=92s bad air to=20 figure this out. Then, the next time you need to jibe into a narrow = lane, you=92ll=20 be able to live there.