Starting

Consistency is the key to starting well and having a great regatta. This article is written by highly accomplished international sailing coach and good mate Adrian Finglas. Many regattas are won and lost in the final few seconds before a start. This is due to high risk moves, teams that are on edge and worried about others and not their team. FREE...

TO WIN THE START, DON'T BE WHERE OTHERS ARE Most racers believe that they must always start at the favoured end but the favoured end is the crowded end and the crowded end is where most of the bad starts happen. Inshore races nearly always have oscillating winds shifting back and forth. If the starting line is set anywhere close to...

  I interviewed Mike Holt about how to start well every time starting, Mike is a three-time World champion in the high-performance International 505 when he was in Adelaide Australia competing in our 505 National championships. Mike has competed in a huge number of 505 events all around the world, he is by no means a one-class sailor. Mike has sailed...

The Start. Starting is one of the most complex aspects of a boat race with many moving parts, sail trim, team communication, competitors' attack and defence moves and the overall strategic view. All aspects have to flow and come together all at the one time on the go Signal. Preparation Many teams spend huge hours working on perfecting crew work and...

If you find you have had or are about to have an ordinary start, there are multiple different ways to recover from a bad start. I have outlined a couple of my favourite ways to recover from a bad start below. Stay Where You Are And Foot Off - If you worked out that the left side of the course is...

Top Tips For Starting Next Time You Race Holding Station on the line - Keep the boat flat to stop it from going sideways. If you end up head to wind, release the kicker/boom vang to help regain steerage.  If you wish to go sideways, lift the centreboard. If you want to go backwards, sit your weight forward to stop the transom from digging...

    Starting Strategy. I have copied below, excerpts from an interview with Mike Holt, multiple 505 world champion who is renowned for getting awesome starts and having an uncanny knack of digging himself out if things go wrong during or just after a start. Describe your overall start strategy For me, whether it is a line or gate start I am focused...

How To Execute Four Different Types Of Race Starts Reach in Reach Out - Four Different Types Of Race Starts This is probably the most used starting technique because it is simple to execute and fairly straightforward. You take note of the time remaining and beam reach on port past the part of the line you want to start at. Then you...

It's important to remember that a bad start is not the end of your day, patience and keeping a cool head will generally save you from a total disaster. You can recover from a bad start. Look for a clean exit If your start has gone wrong, don't panic and look for a clean exit sooner rather than later. Be patient though,...