FROM THE BOTTOM UP

Don’t let the leeward mark become a directionless flurry. The smart boats have their strategy sorted as they exit, says MARK RUSHALL

- MARK RUSHALL

We made it! The spinnaker stayed out of the water and is safely stowed. The jib halyard needs a little more tension: we can do that on the next tack. The wind seems to have dropped: maybe we need to get the jib cars further forward and adjust the mast chocks when we get a chance. We remembered to get the outhaul back on and the centreboard fully down before the rounding. Now it’s time to find the next mark, check-in on the wind shift phase, and decide our upwind strategy: or is it?

The beginning of the next upwind leg is a sea of opportunity that is frequently overlooked in the frantic rush to get the leeward mark safely behind us. The smart boats began the planning process early. They were aligned to any changes in conditions during the downwind leg, got the boat set up before the mark, were aware of the next mark position and shift phase, and had the strategic priorities sorted. This meant they had a clear objective before the jostling began, and are already sailing fast towards the next gain, while the others are playing catch up.

BIG PICTURE: BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND

What are the priorities for the next leg? If it’s a reach, the strategy may simply be to protect the “inside” side of the run to give the best chance of gaining or breaking an overlap before the zone, with a clear lane home.

If it’s a beat, there’s more to think about. What has been the winning strategy for the race so far? Oscillating shifts? A favoured side through wind or tide variations? What does the next leg look like? Is the beat square, or skewed so that most of the leg will be on one tack? The answers to these questions should shape your positioning against other boats on the second half of the off wind leg and not the other way around, even earlier if it’s a short leg.