How To Race a Sailboat
You’ve enjoyed pleasure sailing, and conquered the challenge of getting your sailboat out of the marina, around the lake and back to shore in a variety of wind conditions and directions. You enjoy cruising in and around the boaters, fishermen and kayakers while soaking up sun and enjoying the breeze.
Perhaps you are looking for a new challenge. Maybe you want to meet some of the other sailors, and share some tips or tactics to make your boat go faster, your sail trim become more efficient or just learn what equipment is best to add or replace. Then you might enjoy racing with a congenial group of sailors who get together a few times a week to sharpen their competitive edge and swap stories and successes on the water.
So how do you get started? The good news is that you already have the most important piece of equipment, the boat. Now you need to gather a willing crew and set about learning the basics of racing a sailboat.
Racing utilizes all the skills you’ve learned as a pleasure sailor, with a few more “rules of the road” to follow. Instead of going where the wind takes you, racing challenges you to follow a set course, designed to match the prevailing wind direction on that day and time. Sailing clubs such as BBYRA or WBYC use a “sailing judge” to determine wind direction and set the best course for that day’s conditions. While there are a variety of ways to “set up” a race course such as having you race in a triangle or back and forth around the buoys, you will almost always sail upwind from the starting line, zig zagging your way across the wind. Since races are timed, it’s to your advantage to use these “tacks” efficiently to reach the buoy.
So next time you’re out on the water, take some time to watch a race, and see if you can identify any or all of the following parts of the race.
The Race Course Start
Look for a “committee” or “judges” boat (anchored pontoon or motor boat) with flags and at least two people on it. It is generally near an orange or yellow floating balloon we sailors call the “mark”, the “pin” or the “buoy.” At the start of a race, the race judges on that boat will check the wind direction, set a course, and come back to the starting area to anchor about 60 yards away from the buoy. This distance between the boat and buoy is an imaginary “starting line” on the water. Approximately 10 minutes prior to the start of the race, the judges will alert us with flags and horns to let us know how much time we have before we are allowed to cross the “starting line.” They will often group us into two fleets, determined by the type of boat you have, and conduct two “starts,” three minutes apart. There is usually a board attached to the back of the committee or judges boat alerting you to the type of course and starting order. When the gun or horn is blown, signaling the start, it becomes a test of your skill and ability to read the wind as you race against the clock and the other boats.
The Race
Most race courses are set up to go “upwind” from the starting buoy or pin to another orange or yellow buoy. Look upwind of the start and identify where that buoy is located. The thrill of the race is breaking free of the crowd of boats at the starting line, seeking consistent, steady wind and being the first to reach and round the “upwind buoy” to starboard. It may mean tacking or zig zagging across the wind a few times, keeping clear “right of way” versus your competitors. When you come close to another boat, keep in mind the basic rules: starboard tacking boats always have right of way to a boat on a port tack. There are no judges following you, so you and your crew need to be alert to other boats and follow the “rules of racing” as outlined in the International Rules of Sailboat Racing. You won’t remember them all, but you’ll quickly learn the 5-6 most important ones. If you break a rule, you are required to move away from the other racers and do penalty tacks / jibs. This is not desirable, as it slows you down and adds time to your race results. Better to just follow the rules.
Look around the lake to see any other buoys that will help you determine the rest of the race course. You might see a third buoy, that helps create a “triangular” race course for the racers to follow. You might just see the starting buoy, indicating that once you’ve rounded the upwind buoy you need to go back down toward the “start” and round that again. Most races are set up so you go around the race course 2 – 3 times, depending on the wind and weather conditions. Yes, we race in the rain – although if lightening is spotted, the judges will immediately cancel the race. Safety is important.
The Finish
Once the boats have sailed around the buoys 2-3 times, as indicated by the board on the back of the judges boat, they will be heading toward the finish! The finish can be upwind or downwind, determined by the judges that day. They are most often “upwind.” This means the judges boat at the “imaginary starting line” has now moved to create an “imaginary finish line” approximately 60 yards away from the upwind buoy. The judges will keep track of the time it takes you to finish, often signaling and calling out your time as you cross the line. Keep in mind that the changing wind, the skill of your competitors and other traffic on the water all combine to make it a challenge to beat your fellow racers. Never give up, as anything can happen when racing! Each race is a fresh opportunity to sharpen your skill and learn how to make your boat go faster.
Interested in learning more? Check back on this web site for “Rules Seminars” conducted in April/ May of each year. Interested in getting “up close and personal” in a race? Contact the BBYRA to set up a time you can race with one of the sailors. Be prepared to acquire “race fever” an illness we welcome, with the only cure: more time on the water.