Countdown.....

What do You do in the Pre-Start Period and Sequence?

There are clearly some boats who go out and gather 'statistics' on the course, and it is no coincidence that they win regularily. Outside of a same-old-same old wednesday night, where local knowledge has been hard wired into the brains, these teams perform consistently better than the 'up with sails at the five minute gun' brigade.

Trying to focus on what happens and NOT what should have been prepared here have we my ideas for a boat either new to a venue, say at a nationals or Tarbert week, or maybe in a new boat at a known venue.


"t" minus 2hours

• The owner is on board with any crew who can help fix things broken last time, check items with some knowledge or rig tune the boat.
  

• A discussion of weather forecast and sequence of weather is taken, and tides are discussed.
  

Metereologists admit that they can now very accurately predict a sequence of weather for any patch of 10km square at 24 hours notice, but not the actual timings at which that weather arrives or passes over. Therefore it is up to the team to spot which phase they are in and expect what cloud signs in particular will mark the next change in the sequence.

• Weaknesses in the last performance and any with crew who need some advice or supervision are discussed with the owner/driver and their leiutenants.

• Start Line strategy types are agreed in light of the last race in a series, or known competitor behaviour. "Stay out of trouble", "third of the way down" or "all out best start at the biased end" are the nominal types of strategy.

• The rig is tuned for the predicted conditions. It may have changed tension with temperature, some forgotten little tweak or outright tampering !

• Racing instructions are read and discussed by the "core management team"!
  

"t" minus 1 hour

• All crew on board

• sails organised for expected conditions and weather changes out over the day

• Conditions, race course and positioning in the series are discussed with the crew as a team!

• Owner makes sure everyone is happy with their position and fit enough for the day in that.

• The boat motors out to the course area
  

"t" minus 45 mins

• Main sail and genoa are set up for the day
• The comittee boat 'behaviour' is noted- no sign of it? listen on the VHF.
• The course likely is estimated, or witha windward mark that is set as first tuning goal
• The presumed beat is riden, on long tacks to check for oscillations (shifts), gust-oscillation relationship, wind bends and L-R hand side wind stregnth differences

1. Tacking angle is established for the conditions ------------------------
   
2. from 1. a TWA can be taken on either tack at 3 or 5 minuted intervals
3. WInd speed is noted right, centre and left and near any land features-
4. An idea of shifts and any bends are discussed-------------------------
   

• A gentle spinnaker hoist is affected
• Any ideas on wind shifts are confirmed
• Gust beahviour is easier to spot- reversed for use on the beat- lift becomes header and so on.
• WInd bends are investigated- aim for the presumed centre, measure the lift or header, gybe and go out and then reach back in again.
• Tide is monitored by SOG or just looking at bouys and stacks. Suspected variances across course are confirmed byu looking at track and even reaching hard over to the other side.
• stats are collated and 'good height, stand on', and' header, tack!" and written on a table

"t" minus 30 mins

Now the committee boat pretty much well has to be on station and a weather mark in the process of being laid or chosen from navigation marks. This is the last time for quiet contemplation and objective weather calls.

The headsail, and even the main as well, are taken down and input for the strategy is discussed. TWA is monitored, weather sequence-signs are remarked upon.

The course is measured geometrically, marks plotted on the GPS as waypoints. Likely transit lines are sighted beyond the comittee boat and at the presumed pin end.

Perhaps we have a slower class start before us, we look at their start from just to windward of the boat or the pin end, being out harms way to anyone who tacks or needs to go round the end to restart.

We look at who else is out to play early in our fleet and mark sail numbers. We look for any dogs to roll over down the line, or aggressive luffers to stay clear off .

We listen to the RC's vhf patter, and take last refreshments before the race. Everyone gets in the right clothes for the start, with any jackets handy below.

"t" minus 20 mins

There is now very little time to change anything, but just enough for a final minute rethink given new -weather information or rig problems. Everything has been checked and tested, so a last once round the standing rigging and the spinnaker tackle is made. A bulbed keel boat is set in reverse to free any bags and shit off the keel.

• A further practice beat is taken- for a short course, all the way. Beware! Don't sail to the weather mark even with 20 to go if you aren't 100% sure of getting back in time!
  
• Final cars settings. twist and slot settings are finalised and halyard/backstay tensions etc are confirmed.
• Boat speed is noted up the beat as is time of arrival at weather mark and leeward mark. This helps later with decisions on hopw long it will take to sail up and down the course with respect to weather sequence, tide changes and of course if you ar racing non One Design.
• A racing hoist is taken- if it is clearly a gybe set then maybe that is done.
• FInal check of any windbend and guist pattern on the run, RHS / LHS wind velocity variances
  
• Racing take down and...
• a harden up near the start area ( or, with enough time- leeward mark itself)
• Laylines for the pin and a safe boat end approach are noted- can you stand them from where you are wanting to approach from?
• Is there tide on the line?
  
• Genoa is taken down at 10 minutes.

"t" minus 10 minutes

• Hold to within shouting distance to the RC boat down to 6 minutes
  
• Committee boat flags, signals, letters and VHF are all checked out.
• Final clothes call
• Final tidy below
• Confirmation of TWA, shift, gust pattern as unchanged ?
• Check of who is out (as above)
• Line Bias is checked with the mainsail-reaching method, or sighting
• Transits behind, and if possible on the line are spotted by the bowman and anyone else who can use them.
• engine off at 6 minutes, genoa up again.
  

"t" minus 5 minutes

• What is the pack doing? Churning around, lining up to the RHS of the boat end? Creeping up to look at doing some long-shots. Who is at the hot end? Who looks like being conservative?
• Can we stand the boat or pin from which laylines. Will we be falling off far?
• at 3 minutes we are in our own personal pole positions or a fakey we can bail out of!
  

"t" minus 2 minutes

• Has the pack gone for a big hassle at the RHS boat end?
  
• Are the pack behaving themselves ie low speed, lined up, ragging?
• Are we in the lane we want to be?
  
• Is the pack early?
  
• Do we need to tack up in light winds or bad tide? or get a higher lane on the RHS?
  
• Do we need to gybe once to spill height or reposition to another lane?
• 1.30 we have the lane we want, we can squeeze up and we will shut out reachers and tackers under us with a 'wiggle' down into the gap.

"t" minus 1 minute.

• Are we in our lane?
  
• Up on the bow of the next guy or hold back a little?
• Duck a boat and reach off for speed- last chance before we are locked in the lane
• Can we take anyone over or out at the RHS to us?
• Any last minute iditos crashing in behind and under us?
• Anyone looking to use the rule 19 on us?
• Guy under us footing off- follow?
• Guy under us pressing us up? Roll him, or hold back?
• Transit? ok, time? Fresh wind for our bow?
• Boat legnths per second?
• Distance b ack from the safe transit and/or line in boat legnts?
• pack moving? We covered for a recall anyway?
• Sheet on then, go go go!