Yachts & Yachting — March 2018

MARC TURNER/RYA

probably only two or three boats ever

actually have a great start while everyone

else is left fighting for a clear lane,

looking for the tack to get across, or

having to wait for other boats to tack.

She advises: “The middle is also tricky

because you’ve got to be happy with

your transits and again, if you do have

a bad start, it will take a while to find

that clear lane. So for someone who

has the starting wobbles, the starboard

end is not a bad place to be because it’s

really easy. You’re right there, you can

hear the gun, you can even hear the

race committee counting it down. It’s

easy to judge the distance to the line,

andifitdoesgoalittlebitwrong,you

cantackoutearlyontoport,getclear

air, and then tack back again if that’s

your strategy. It’s a lot easier to recover

fromabadstartatthestarboardend.”

5 Measure your success

Successful starting takes practise, skillful

boat handling, tactical know-how and a

clear understanding of the rules. With

all of these will come confidence and

your abilty will naturally progress.

The seconds leading up to the

start and after the gun has gone can

make or break your entire race and as

Helena sums up: “You judge your start

onwhetherit’sagoodstartaminute

afterthegunhasgone.Oftenyousee

people and they’re on the line and

look like they’ve had a perfect start. A

minute later they’re buried in the pack

or being forced out the wrong way.

“It’s about being on the front row and

crossing the start line with speed and in

clear air, so you’ve got options and can

either follow your race strategy or get your

head out of the boat and look around. If,

after a minute from the start, you can tack

if you want, or keep going – that’s how

you know you’ve had a good start!”

Try these three exercises to

improve your starting skills

Time and distance

Approximately two boat lengths away from the line,

stop your boat so you are on a close hauled course

but with the sails flapping. When your crew is ready,

sheet on and bring the boat flat so that you’re sailing

at full speed, close hauled, towards the line. Make

a note of how long that takes; then try varying the

point at which you stop. This helps you to improve

your time on distance skills, as well as acceleration

technique, so you cross the line on the gun.

Holding station

Stop your boat immediately to leeward of a mark; ease

the sails, let off the kicker, and keep the boat flat or

slightly heeled to windward. Now start your stopwatch.

Hold this position for as long as possible without drifting

away from themark; use rudder movements and careful

sail trim to keep working to windward and counter

your drift. Try to stay in place a little longer each time.

If you do drift more than a boat length or two from the

mark, try a speedy double tack to regain your ground.

Boat positioning

Ask your coach or friend to set a simple countdown. With

30 seconds to go, aim to be in position on the startline.

Hold your boat on the line (using the skills mastered in the

exercise above)until you hear the start whistle – which

can sound anywhere up to 30 seconds before or after

the real start time. At this point, sheet in and flatten the

boat to accelerate as fast as you can. This works well

with two or three boats lining up against each other.

Hear more from Helena on how

to get the perfect start at the

RYA Dinghy Show (3-4 March

at Alexandra Palace) at 11:00 on

the RYA Knowledge Zone. For

tickets and more information

visit: dinghyshow.org.uk

STARTS FEATURE

More starting tips...

48 Yachts & Yachting March 2018 yachtsandyachting.co.uk