Getting Started in Sailboat Racing

The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Contents

Excerpt

CHAPTER 1

WELCOME TO THE RACECOURSE

To those not familiar with the sport, sailboat racing can seem like a study incontrolled chaos, with very little in the way of control. One moment you'll seeclumps of boats sailing off in opposite directions, spreading themselves so thinit's hard to tell if they are even part of the same group. Next they'll allhoist their spinnakers at the same time and sail along in a neat and tidy line.The start, in particular, can seem like a kind of waterborne madness. Aboard thecommittee boat, where the race committee administers the race, horns blare andflags go rushing up and down halyards, while the fleet of competitors circlesabout in what appears to be impossibly tight quarters, like hyperactive terrierssniffing the wind. A small powerboat with a couple of bright-orange inflatablebuoys charges off to windward. Then all of a sudden a flag comes down, there'syet another blast of the horn, or maybe a gun, and some of the boats that hadbeen milling about, apparently aimlessly, begin charging off in the samedirection. Amazing! How did they know it was their turn? How do they keep frombumping into each other? And how do they even know where they're going?

Fortunately, as is the case with most racing sports—whether it be a NASCARoval or a high school track—the courses in sailboat racing are generallyvery simple, and the rules not much worse. What follows is a brief narrative ofa hypothetical sailboat race, along with an explanation of the different kindsof courses used in sailboat racing. The one big difference between sailing andmany other racing sports is that there are no lanes or other obvious dividers tokeep the boats from crashing into each other. The rules, though, make short workof this problem, with help from the fact that boats can be easily differentiatedfrom one another by their angle of sail. Another difference is that the coursefor a sailboat race can be tough to spot, since it is delineated by just ahandful of buoys, or "marks," spread over what can sometimes be miles of openwater. To address this problem, the sport has evolved a system of flags, horns,guns, and other signals that clearly communicate where you're supposed to go.It's all very "Age of Nelson stuff," one more reason why sailboat racing is socool.

A HYPOTHETICAL RACE

Whether it's a national championship regatta with just one type of boatcompeting or a casual Wednesday night jaunt around the buoys with an assortmentof boats taking part in a number of different groups, or classes (also referredto as sections), every sailboat race has a certain kind of energy toit—especially for someone venturing out onto the racecourse for the firsttime. In fact, the excitement begins as soon as you reach the dock. There's anelectricity in the air as dozens of sailors in sunglasses and racing caps hurryback and forth carrying brightly colored sail bags, spinnaker poles, and otherpieces of hardware.

Casting off your lines you either motor or sail out to the committee boat, whichwaits at anchor like some kind of Pied Piper or a shepherd out tending hisflock. Then you check in by sailing close alongside and calling out your sailnumber. The number of boats quickly multiplies, and they all begin sailing backand forth, while the crew on the committee boat gauges the wind direction,decides how to orient the racecourse, and drops an inflatable orange buoy intothe water maybe 50 or 100 yards away to create a starting line. (This distancecan fluctuate dramatically depending on the size of the fleet, but will ideallybe about 1.5 times the number of boats times the boats' individual lengthsoverall.) Minutes later the aforementioned flags and horns make theirappearance. One of the crew aboard your boat notes that the committee is callingfor a "windward-leeward" course consisting of four stages, or legs, goingdirectly up- and downwind, and then the first section of the fleet goes chargingoff to windward, hell-bent for leather. After that comes another set of flagsand another section takes off. Then it's your turn. Throwing in a few quicktacks and jibes, you bunch up along the line with the other boats in your class,in what you are sure is going to be a terrible pileup. Then, at the sound of ahorn, you all charge off to windward in the same direction as the other boatsbefore you, some of which already appear to be little more than dots on thehorizon.

At this point, things settle down for a bit. The boats in your class slowlyseparate as they tack back and forth in an effort to sail as quickly as possibleto where the first mark, or windward mark, has been dropped in the water a mileor two directly to windward, indicating the turning point at the end of thefirst leg of the race. On occasion you find yourself either crossing tracks withor sailing parallel to another boat. Other times it feels like you've got thecourse to yourself. Eventually, someone sights the mark—still little morethan an orange speck on the horizon—and before you know it things arestarting to get complicated again as you prepare to hoist the spinnaker for thenext leg. Your widely separated competitors begin to converge, many of themlining up close-hauled on starboard tack and quickly advancing toward the buoy.Others angle in on port tack and tack over onto starboard at the last minute.Then it's like the start all over again. What seems like the entire fleetjostles for position, as the different crews hoist their spinnakers as quicklyas possible and maneuver their boats as efficiently as they can, both throughthe crowd and around the buoy.

After that there's another period of relative calm as the fleet makes its wayback downwind, once again spreading out as the boats jibe back and forth to makethe most of the wind. Then it's time to look out for the leeward mark (the buoydelineating the turning point at the end of the downwind leg), decide on thefastest way to get there, and bunch up again with the rest of the boats for thenext mark rounding—an exercise that is further complicated by your havingto both hoist the jib and take down the spinnaker, an exercise fraught withhazard. Hopefully, by this time, the boats in both your class and the entirefleet are spread out enough that it won't be too terribly crowded at the mark,and you can make a nice clean rounding. If not, well, a little chaos at theleeward mark is all part of the fun.

Once you've got the rounding behind you, it's time for another long beat to thewindward mark, followed by another rounding and spinnaker hoist for another tripdownwind. This time, however, instead of heading for a single leeward mark, youset a course for the committee boat, which once again has a second buoy in thewater—about 30 yards away this time—to designate the finish line. Asyou draw near you notice that two of your competitors are nearby, and thingsonboard your own vessel are as tense as ever as the crew tries to eke out everylast bit of speed. Then finally, after what seems an eternity, you are sailingpast the committee boat, and a member of the race committee calls out yourboat's sail number and honks a horn. Congratulations! You've just completed yourfirst sailboat race! Time to relax and have a cold one. If, like many noviceracers, you are a little confused about what exactly you have just done, don'tfret. That's what the rest of this chapter is for.

THE COURSE

Today, nearly all inshore sailboat races take place on one of three basic typesof courses: the triangle course, the windward-leeward-triangle course, and thesimple windward-leeward course. Note that many racecourses will vary slightlyfrom these basic types, depending on the conditions and types of marks that areused. For example, when using a windward-leeward-triangle course, some racecommittees will have the boats finish on the downwind leg, or run, if the windsare light and the committee doesn't want the race to last too long. On somecourses the race can end at a mark in the center of the course. Contrary to itsappearance, the windward-leeward course is the most tactically and strategicallydifficult, because beats and runs offer the best opportunities to pass otherboats (and to be passed if you're not careful). In fact, the simple trianglecourse has been largely relegated to Wednesday night "beer can" races and othercasual venues. Still, all three types offer plenty of challenge.

Whatever the course, the starting line will generally be delineated by an orangeflag flown aboard the race committee boat, which is anchored at the starboardend of the line, usually with a small buoy placed alongside to keep boats clear.Another buoy—often referred to as the "pin"—determines the otherend. In setting the starting line, the race committee will try to make the lineas perpendicular to the wind as possible. In reality, though, the line willalmost always be cocked a little one way or the other, so that one end isslightly closer to the windward mark than the other, making it thebetter—or favored—end (for more information about favored end, seechapter 2, Starting). Some race committees will even skew their lines ever soslightly, favoring the pin end, so there won't be too much crowding at thecommittee boat. The buoys marking the rest of the course can be drop-ininflatable buoys, permanent race buoys, or standard navigational buoys; i.e.,bell buoys, cans, nuns, etc. Drop-in buoys, like those referred to at the startof the chapter, are hauled around the course and anchored at the appropriatepoints by small powerboats called crash boats. Usually just a few minutes beforethe start, you will see one of these little guys roaring off directly towindward to drop in the first mark before the gun. Sometimes, if there is adramatic windshift in the middle of the race, they will move the buoys to avoida situation in which boats are just beam-reaching back and forth with littlepossibility for tactical interest or passing. Don't worry. They'll let you knowwhen they move buoys by blowing a horn and waving a letter C signal flag coloredwith a number of red, white, and blue stripes.

In the case of permanent buoys, the yacht clubs or sailing associations thatplace them will usually arrange them in a square or star pattern around acentral starting buoy. That way, no matter what the wind direction, the racecommittee will be able to arrange the requisite runs and beats.

Sometimes race committees will create a gate at the leeward mark to accommodatelarge, crowded fleets. Basically, a gate consists of a pair of leeward marksinstead of just one. You can then choose to round whichever one you want, aslong as you first pass between the two. This, of course, completely eliminatescrowding at the leeward mark ... uh, well ... at least in theory. Very few beginnerswill find themselves facing a situation requiring a gate at the leeward mark(see chapter 6, Leeward Mark Roundings and Finishing, for more information aboutrounding gates).

FLAGS, GUNS, AND OTHER SIGNALS

The primary flags to be concerned about on the racecourse are those that providea countdown to the start and those that designate the kind of course the fleetwill be sailing. There are a myriad of other flags and sequences of flags, butwe will only discuss a few of the more important ones here. Many marine storescarry handy waterproof cheat sheets with all the established signals. Also, thesailing instructions that are provided as a part of every regatta will include alist of the most important signal flags, such as class flags. Class flags may besolid-colored standard signal flags or have letters or symbols against a solidbackground. For those sailors taking part in a season-long series, the yachtclub or organizing body will also publish a list of signals and flags—especiallyif they differ from the norm.

While we are on the subject, the sailing instructions are an important part ofsailboat racing, and every crewmember—not just the skipper—shouldtake some time to study them before the beginning of a race. Oneperson—preferably not the skipper—should also be designated as theone in charge of interpreting signals. Again, the instructions will provide akey for determining what flags will be used to designate different courses andclasses. They will also provide the order in which the different classes willstart and the time at which each class should, in theory at least, be headingoff the line. Don't be one of those crews that finds itself debating whether itfinishes on the fourth or fifth leg, or whether its section is next in thestarting sequence. You've got enough to worry about without being confused overthe basic parameters of the game.

As for the starting sequence, which consists of a series of flags and horns orgunshots, the committee boat will raise and lower flags in the following order:

The sailing instructions for a regatta or racing series include informationabout starting times, the kinds of race-courses you will sail, various signalflags the race committee will use, and more. Everyone on board your boat shouldbe familiar with the sailing instructions, not just the skipper! (CourtesySperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week)

Five minutes before the start: The race committee raises a class, or warning,flag designating which class is about to start. At the same time, it sounds ahorn to announce that the starting sequence has begun.

Four minutes before the start: The race committee sounds another horn and hoistsa preparatory flag, usually a blue flag or the P flag (a white flag with a thickblue border). These give the timekeepers on the boats in the starting sectionthe opportunity to make sure they have the right time.

One minute before the start: The race committee lowers the preparatory flag andsounds another horn.

Start: The race committee lowers the class flag and signals the start with a gunor horn.

Note that, in contrast to starting sequences in the past, the start for oneclass may not be the beginning of the next section's sequence. Instead, it maysimply serve as a warning for the next section to be on alert. Watch for theclass flag. If it goes up at the same moment the class ahead starts, fine.Otherwise, you will have to be patient and keep an eye on the committee boat.When it is ready, the race committee will start the sequence at the five-minutepoint by sounding a horn and hoisting the appropriate class flag.

On occasion the race committee will use a flag other than the blue preparatoryflag to signal the four- and one-minute points to communicate that specialpenalties are being applied at the start. For example, it might use the I flag(a yellow flag with a black circle in the middle) to signal that any boatcrossing the starting line within a minute of the start must sail around eitherthe pin or the committee boat to return to the proper side. It might also usethe dreaded black flag to indicate that any boat on the wrong side of the linewithin a minute of the start is automatically disqualified from the entire race.The black flag is usually only employed to control especially large and unrulyfleets, say a bunch of Melges 24 skippers all hungry for a regionalchampionship. Make sure you check the flags early on to avoid any unpleasantsurprises after the finish.

Bear in mind that, although many race committees will radio or hail the fleetvia megaphone to draw attention to any unusual flags or the fact that acompetitor has crossed the starting line early, it is not required to do so.Hailing by the race committee is only a courtesy. Ultimately, it is theresponsibility of each individual sailor to watch for any unusual flags thatmight be flying or changes in the starting sequence.

One time, for example, there were five different classes starting in a NationalOffshore One-Design (NOOD) regatta off Chicago Harbor. The Tartan Ten fleet,with 48 boats, was starting third in the sequence. In the first four races ofthe regatta, the class flag went up at the same moment as the start of the classbefore the Tens. But in the fifth race, the race committee decided not to raisethe class flag immediately, because the breeze had picked up and it wanted togive the other sections a bit more of a head start. (The Tartan Ten isespecially fast in heavy air.) Unfortunately, because it was windy, there was alot of noise and confusion, and over half the Tartan Ten fleet started fiveminutes after the previous section's start anyway, only to slow down, peel away,and sail back to the starting area as they realized their mistake. By the timemany of these boats got back, there was less than one minute to go to the startand the I flag, which had been raised to keep the unruly fleet in check, hadalready been taken down. As a result many of them, unaware of the newconditions, just dipped across the line and went charging off toward thewindward mark, violating the rules. At the end of the race these boats didn'treceive a finish signal, because they hadn't properly started. They had all beenover the line early—a hard way to learn a lesson in a major regatta.

Note that, before the actual sequence begins, the race committee will post a setof large numbers designating the compass heading of the first beat (which thendetermines the position of the entire course, since all other marks are relativeto the starting line and windward mark) and a letter designating the coursetype. For example, a race committee might display a letter "W"—to signifya windward-leeward course with four legs—with the number 270 immediatelybelow, indicating that the heading on the first leg is due west. Even if youcan't see the mark (which is often the case unless you are racing dinghies closeinshore) you will still know exactly where to go. Because the course is awindward-leeward, the headings on the second and fourth legs are simply thereciprocal of the first and third, i.e., 90 degrees, or due east. If the courseincludes a triangle, the sailing instructions will designate the angles thatmust be sailed relative to the windward leg. If you are sailing around a seriesof fixed marks, all the compass headings will be included in the sailinginstructions. Again, it's all fairly straightforward. This is sailing after all,not rocket science.

OTHER FLAGS

Beyond the basic starting sequence, race committees also use flags tocommunicate other kinds of information, the meanings of which are prettystraightforward. The flags are almost always accompanied by one or more horns orguns to make sure no one misses them. The following are a few of the more commonflags you will encounter.
(Continues...)Excerpted from Getting Started in Sailboat Racing by ADAM CORT. Copyright © 2013 by Adam Cort and Richard Stearns. Excerpted by permission of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc..
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