Key West Race Week – Part Five – A Response
January 8, 2010
Sorry that it has been so long since I’ve written. After celebrating the New Year holiday Jeff Jordan and I zipped a J80 to Key West from Annapolis in a 48 hour 2500 mile round trip blitz. I don’t recommend it, but it can be done. Unbelievably I am headed back down there right now. I’m in Florida and will be back in Key West late tomorrow afternoon.
So, the question was basically, we are coming to the first windward mark, the wind is blowing 16kts from the same direction, we still have current moving left to right and the slight geographic left hand shift DID come in as we sailed to the left. So where do we tack?
Well, I would argue that there are three places where we might tack: (diagram two)
Position One, would be to tack RIGHT NOW. With the current pushing us toward the layline we should be able to get to the mark, and with the boats to windward of us not quite fetching the layline they are likely to continue on and give us enough clear air to make the mark. If we were interested in being inside at the weather mark then this might be a good move. Is that what we want? Likely we’ll have to pinch up to make the mark, we’ll be slow, but we’ll be inside. It is even possible that we will “catch” a piece of those boats on our hip (the port tackers) and force them to tack shy of the layline. It is RISKY. But, it could move us up quite a few places. 
Position Two, would have us tacking on the leebow of the lead starboard tack parade boat. Again, we should initially have clear air, and given this position we should have no trouble making the mark and likely maintaining much of our speed. Given that the boat that is just to windward of us is being controlled by the boat to windward of her, we may well get an inside overlap at the weather mark, and possibly be able to hold that overalp going to the offset mark. This has potential benefits regarding our position, but we’re likely to be slowed significantly by the other boats. A pack of boats always travels slower than a boat alone. 
Position Three, would have us tacking well past the layline on the outside of the the bulk of the group. Usually we’d like to avoid being on the outside of the pinwheel due to the extra distance that is forces us to sail. But, I would argue that in this case it is a safe place to tack, guarantees the clearest air, and given how crowded this rounding is going to be, might give us the opportunity to sail our own rounding. Furthermore, we are sailing to the windward mark on a port tack lift, which suggests that we want to do a bear away set and continue on starboard tack after the mark, so being outside initially could be to our advantage. 
Three viable choices. But just as when we started there are elements of a great mark rounding. Having ALL of these elements if very difficult to do, and therefore we often have to compromise and prioritize. For instance, in the absence of all other boats I would want to:
Round each mark close enough to touch it – without touching it.
Treat the rounding as the set up for the next leg.
Steer aggressively with body weight and sails.
Sail fast.
Be able to immediately know whether I am lifted or headed to the next mark.
In this instance I would go with number three in this instance. I can make arguments in favor of all three, but I feel pretty strongly that tacking outside the parade is in this case a good move. It is the first rounding. So let’s be fairly conservative. We have to be looking ahead; this tack is not about where we end up at the weather mark, but rather where we are positioned for the spinnaker set. The strategic factors indicate that we want to initially head to the same corner we just came from, so sailing to the outside of this pack should give us a clear lane around both marks and the ability to continue on after the spinnaker set without fighting for clear air.
So in this case I would go outside of the pack, and hope for a dog fight that we aren’t a part of. We are now clear to really focus on our spinnaker set, rather than fighting for positioning. We are overstood slightly and can sail fast, possibly past boats that are slowed by the pack or their own efforts to clear the mark. For this first mark, I am satisfied to be very conservative.
I think you can argue for anyone of these positions (and more), but for me the take away here is to look at where we want to be, not necessarily where are. I also want to really make my “move” when I’ve got a bigger advantage, and if I don’t then I will focus on the simple things (go fast for instance) and put myself into a situation that limits the chance for mistakes.
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