Tactics of Windward Speed

Sail, Race, Win
Eric Twiname
Copyrighted 1974 by Eric Twiname
W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. New York

Chapter Three: The Beat as a Race Against Time


The tactics of windward speed

Tactically you have only two goals when sailing as fast as possible: (1) Use the natural elements to drive the boat to the weather mark in as short of time as possible. (2) Sail the course which cuts down to a minimum the adverse effect of other boats.
For simplicity's sake I shall deal with the two separately before going on to consider how best to make the necessary compromise between them. This chapter d! eals with the first---getting the most speed from the prevailing conditions.

The ideal route up a beat when considering only the natural conditions would obviously be ruined by all the dirty wind you'd get if you ignored the other boats---unless of course you happen to be in the lead. On the other hand it is too easy in the middle of a fleet to be so aware of all the other boats and the disturbance they cause that the advantages offered by wind pass unnoticed. By looking at the natural conditions as though there were no other boats about, then looking at the adverse effect of other boats in absolutely steady conditions, we can isolate these two extreme situations. Sometimes tactical policy is clearcut---like when you're in the middle of a big fleet after messing up the start; you just tack to get clear air. Or when you're in a comfortable second place, trying to catch the man ahead; you forget t! he other boat and use every advantage wind and tide can offer. But more often your tactics are a compromise between these two extremes, and by fully understanding the two sides of the gamble you take every time you tack, you can greatly shorten the odds against being wrong.
It is always easiest to sail a race when lying clearly in the lead. Then there is only one wind, the water and your own boat's speed to worry about---no dirty wind, no water churned into a turmoil of quarter waves by boats ahead. In the lead you can sail against the clock and, if not closely threatened from the stern, can work all the wind shifts untroubled from astern, and concentrate in making the boat go fast---which is why a good helmsman can often build up a ridiculously big lead once he breaks clear. Put yourself for the moment in this happy position. How, in the absence of other boats, are you to get round ! the course in the shortest possible time?


...In this chapter, Twiname goes on with sections about "Oscillating Windshifts", "Roll Tacking", "One-sided Beats", "Geographical Windshifts", "Retarded Wind", "Sea Breezes", "Gust Spotting", "Converting a Gust into Windward Speed", "Close-hauled Boat Speed", "Tidal Beating", "Throwing Away Places in a Favourable Tide", and "Tidal Movement".

Twiname's Next Chapter is entitled "The Beat as an Obstacle Race" in which he moves off the subject of strategy and onto that of tactics. Excellent stuff with lots of cool pictures. But Twiname's Chapter Six "Taking Chance Out of Starting" is the real kicker. Hey, if a successful sailor jots down a few notes on how one might "take the chance out of starting", you can bet your caboose I'm willing to read it.


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Recap on Beating:

Goal: Sail the boat fast, in the strongest wind, on the shortest route.

Plan:
-Sail in undisturbed air.
-In traffic, don't forget to get your head out of the boat and read the breeze.
-Pick your tacks right and sail the best slants.
-Races are easier when you're in the lead. Clear air, in front, equals less tactics.
-Think: "in the absence of other boats" (stategy).
-Do: "what it takes among the fleet to keep air clear and execute strategy" (tactics).


-Coach