For those of you who have been watching the ‘Virtual spectator” as part of the America’s cup coverage one of the things that you may of noticed is how crucial layline management is  to a successful race !

Inevitably the team who has reached an early layline in the race has subsequently lost all tactical options and also as the “ virtual spectator’ graphically illustrates loses time and distance on any subsequent shift !

On of the unique aspects of sail boat racing is that unlike many other sports we do not have defined limits to our field of play and it is very easy to get “out of bounds” and sail extra distance and use up valuable time. This inevitably can cost your team the race or the series.

Lets look at the part laylines play in the race and the decisions that influence our course management.

As we go around the race course we will look at some of the various tactical problems that we can face and  look at  suggested check list of actions , ideas and questions that we can utilize to help our team minimize loss and maximize potential gain.  

Given that there are many way’s to lose a sail boat race the idea of minimizing loss is a good one !

Check laylines to both ends of the starting line before the start :

Problem :  The team has a tendency to barge at the Race Committee boat end or not make the pin end. Essentially they find them selves “out of bounds “ !

Action :  Prior to the start cross the line at the race committee end on starboard tack and at the pin end to get a feel for the laylines. Note your compass heading on these tacks. Take numerous head to wind readings to track the wind and thus see the changing laylines.

Watch other boats that are crossing the line from another start and look at their angles to help you define the laylines.

Going Upwind - stay on the longer tack first

Problem : The team tends to reach early laylines and get hurt by a subsequent shift - either grossly overstanding or getting hit with a header that loses distance to other teams.

Action : Typically you want to get on the longer tack first. If the mark is to the right then the longer tack is port, if it is to the left then the longer tack is starboard. The benefit of sailing the longer tack first is it gets your team more into the middle of the course, (directly downwind of the windward mark) which keeps you away from early laylines. It also keeps your tactical options open - never a bad thing ! If you don’t take the long tack first then suddenly you find your self almost out of bounds very early in the leg.

Where are we on the course ? Shall we tack ?

 Action :

A team always wants to have a group sense of where they are on the course relative to the mark and the fleet - are we in the middle ? Left of middle ? Right of  middle etc.

A very good piece of information to verbalize amongst your team  is the sailing distance in time or boat lengths to the layline. This knowledge will help you decide your likely tactical moves when you meet other boats.

If you are on port tack and there is only a small distance to the starboard layline then you may consider lee bowing or “leading back” the oncoming starboard tacker because if you duck him you may end up stuck on an early layline.

Another scenario would be if you were on port tack only 5 boatlenghts from the port layline - in this instance you would want to duck any oncoming starboard tacker so that you have freedom to sail to the mark. If you elect to lee bow the end result maybe being pinned out to the layline and forced to overstand all the way into the mark in bad air.    

 We are getting out to the corner - what to do ?

Problem :

The further out to the side of the course we get the less we can utilize the windshifts. If we are on the right side and the wind shifts left our layline keeps moving and we never get to sail toward the mark, the same applies on the left side when the shift goes to the right.  

Thought process :

Think of strategy as a game of risk management - the more certain you are the more you can sail toward a side( with the knowledge that  a shift can hurt your effort) either to get to velocity or to take advantage of a heading shift to tack on.   

However, if you are not certain,  or most boats are on the other tack or the conditions are unstable - then all these signs are for your team to stay with the fleet, keep the leverage , ( separation)down and stay more in the middle of the course so that you can go to one side of the course as it becomes more favored with out losing a lot of boats in the process.  

Action : Look to tack on a smaller heading windshift, a 5 degree one will do fine !  Your team is really looking for any excuse to tack and sail toward the mark at this point.

 The more out to the side of the course you get the smaller the shift you will tack on  as you are trying to avoid the early layline and losing your options to play subsequent wind shifts.  

Even the compass coming back to the median, ( middle) or average number will at least mean that you are not sailing back on the other tack on  a substantial header !  

 When you are in the middle of the course you can afford to ignore minor oscillations and go for velocity as you have more options open to you.

If no shift is happening to your advantage then the a good thing to do is tack in the very best velocity you can find  and knuckle down and work on your boatspeed to beat as many boats as you can on your side of the course and shift.   

Way’s to avoid this scenario in the first place are to have a check list of questions to ask your self : The answers will give your team an idea of what the best likely course of action is.

1)     Where is the bulk of the fleet - are we leveraging ourselves out from them and setting ourselves up for a big loss ? There is strength in numbers !!

2)     Where is the mark ? Lets know this at all times.

3)     How much sailing time to the layline ?

4)     Where is the best breeze ?

5)     Are we headed or lifted? Is our bow pointed away from the mark or toward it ?

6) Is it easy to judge when to tack for the mark ? If not - tack much earlier than you think to prevent from getting set up on the layline too early.  

Note : If the compass headings seem confusing then a good fundamental technique that is used by dinghy sailors is to ask your self - can I see the mark in my peripheral vision ? If no then the likely hood is that we are sailing away from the mark and should tack .

Problem :

The team always seems to overstand the weather mark or misjudge the layline approach.

Action :  Go to a later, ( closer to the mark) layline - don’t try and judge your approach from 35 boatlenghts out - a mistake is bound to be made.

Generally if you judge the time to tack for the layline within 10 boat lengths you will increase your chances  of making a good judgment. In addition , if you get tacked on you may only feel the effects of the other boats windshadow for a relatively small duration of time.  

Downwind laylines :  Stay in bounds ( within the laylines) and  get on the long jibe first.

Just like going upwind it’s a game of options and risk management. The more you get out to the sides of the course the less options you have to play the windshifts - which essentially is jibing on the lifts and keeping your teams bow going toward the mark at all times.

Again, that  marvelous “ virtual spectator “ shows us  the effects of overstanding, ( going beyond the layline) on  the approach to the leeward mark - a loss of distance, positioning and a much harder spinnaker takedown !

 The opposite issue of coming in to the mark to deep( dead downwind) also shows the lack of speed and subsequent poor rounding of the mark that this generally causes.

Problem : The team loses track of the leeward mark and rounds the windward mark with no game plan :

Action : Very often the Race committee display’s the bearing to the leeward mark  before the start - to get the bearing to the leeward mark, ( assuming it is a windward / leeward race) , subtract 180 degrees from this number and write the bearing to the leeward mark down in a visible place. This will help you decide if you are on the closer jibe to the mark by comparing the bearing to your downwind compass heading.

Also , if the leeward mark is set before the start look for a visual aid that is around it - for instance a building or pier.

    Take the long headed Jibe first :

Coming in to the windward mark - ask yourself are we headed or lifted on this tack - if lifted - jibe as soon as possible to take the long headed jibe toward the mark and to keep your tactical options open. This gets you more into the middle of the course downwind and gives you the option to jibe again if the wind lifts you ( swings aft).

 If the mark is to the right looking downwind then the longer jibe is starboard( in the absence of a windshift) if the mark is to the left looking downwind then the longer jibe is port tack.

Watch your compass carefully - if the numbers change and the velocity stay’s the same and your bow is pointing away from the mark then consider jibing over to stay with in the layline to the mark .

 So our check list looks like this :

 1)      Get a compass bearing to the leeward mark  and a visual aid before the start.

2)     Are we headed or lifted going in to the windward mark ?

3)     Get on the long/ headed jibe first.

4)     Jibe on the lifts - keep your bow going toward the mark.

5)     On the last third of the leg work to the inside- to the left of your competition for port roundings and to the the right for starboard roundings.  

6)     Judge your final layline jibe as close to the mark as possible and  practical so the judgment is as accurate as it can be - this distance will vary  depending on  types of boat, crew experience and conditions.

Note : We have primarily looked at the geometric considerations  for both upwind and downwind.

A big factor will also be where the wind velocity is   and staying in it as long as possible. In light air velocity will be your biggest consideration , as the breeze progressively increases -  angles will start to take more priority.  

Upwind finishes:  

Problem : The team  overstands or comes in too deep ( dead downwind) on the layline the finish and also has a tendency  to lose boats  on close finishes:  

Action : For upwind finishes a good time to judge which end is favored ( more downwind) is when you are directly downwind of the line.

Your check list would include :

1)     Where are other boats finishing ?

2)      Finish at an end of the line so you can judge when to “shoot” the line - don’t finish in the middle.

3)     If boats on starboard tack look lifted crossing the line then the pin end is favored - the opposite is true.

4)     Which way is the race committee boat and flags  pointing  - assuming it is not tidal influence - finish at the opposite end of the line.

5)     If possible - finish on starboard tack - thus with right of way !

Note : It is of great value to practice “shooting “ the line in your practice sessions. Pick a mark and guess how long it takes to glide forward with the bow directly into the wind. This will save valuable time and distance over teams that sail over the line. Very

practiced teams will even drop the Jib/ Genoa as they shoot into the wind to reduce windage/ drag - the bigger the sail the more important this is.  

Downwind Finishes:

Problem : The team tends to misjudge the layline and give up distance and boats.

Action :  This is usually a function of not knowing where the finish is and also not taking the long jibe first and finding one’s self out in a corner. To avoid this your checklist would be :

1)     Know the compass bearing to the finish.

2)     Stay on the  long jibe - this will avoid an early and accurate layline judgment.

3)     Jibe on the lifts - keep your bow pointed toward the finish as much as possible.

4)     Make your final layline jibe as close as is practical to the finish line as is possible/ practical so the judgment is as accurate as it can be.

5)     Finish at an end - much easier to judge when you cross the line.

6)     Finish at the end you wouldn’t start at - in otherwords the end that is further upwind and subsequently closer.

7)     Research your rules - the two boat lengths zone applies - being on starboard tack and inside boat is the best place for a race committee  finish and either clear ahead  ( not overlapped) on starboard tack or inside and overlapped on port tack at the two lengths zone with rights to room top finish at the pin end.

8)     Shoot the finish line - square the spinnaker pole back, ( or ease the sheet on an asymmetric spinnaker) and bear away by the lee to get your bow across the line as quickly as possible !

Conclusion :

So much of this information is gained by your team sailing and gaining experience. It’s part of the evolution  and growth of every team and is likely what makes us all come back for more and more races !

We all go out there and make mistakes, the race challenges us physically and intellectually and the tactical and strategic game is ever changing.

However ,  having a good check list of fundamental tactical moves will help your team stay “ in Bounds” on the course and help you make high percentage decisions as you go around the race course.

 If during this article you find yourself saying - “ we can’t do that -  what if we blow the tack or Jibe”? Or - “we don’t have the speed”-  then the advice is to sail more and practice more than your competition so that your team can then utilize there tactical options.