Five Steps to a Great Start

by Ron Sherry October 1986

Getting a good start is important whether you are sailing in a local or in an international race. Having clear air and the ability to tack over to the favored side of the course is crucial to winning in an event. In this brief outline, I will describe my techniques on lining the boat up on the starting line, main sheet trim, and entering the boat. This style of starting may not work for everyone; but there are some helpful hints that should make it easier for anyone to get consistently good starts.

1. Set the boat up on the line at such an angle that when the main is trimmed, the boat is just on the verge of hiking.
2. Trim the main just snug, or a little past the point where the boom would hang straight down if there was no wind in the sail. This is a good average for most starts (a little tighter in light air, a little looser in heavy air).
3. While standing on the line, constantly adjust the angle of the boat to the wind so that the boat is just on the verge of hiking. Think about a smooth entry, but also about anything that will peak our adrenalin so that when the flag goes down, you can explode off the line.
4. As you run straight off the line, the tendency of the boat to hike is reduced, because of the apparent wind moving forward. When you get close to full speed running lay the boat off slowly until the boat wants to hike. Keep the boat from hiking by holding down on the side stay. I also wrap the main sheet around the tiller, so that all I have to do is lift my thumb to ease the sheet in case of a radical hike.
5. When the boat reaches the point where you cannot hold it down from hiking anymore, step on the plank with your outboard foot. Then slide into the hull with your inboard foot. Lay the boat off far enough and pump the sheet so that you can ride a short controlled hike until the boat reaches top speed. A common error is to trim the main in block to block and begin pointing right away. This will rob the boat of vital speed, so wait until you are sure the boat is moving as fast as it can, then trim the sail all the way in and begin pointing.

There are many other ways of facilitating a good start such as clothes, track shoes, your tiller, and above all, practice. Finding lightweight and warm clothes are important but even more important is finding clothes that are easy to run in. Lightweight track shoes make a big difference. It is also easy to make some alterations to the shoes to make them warmer and drier. I also take a pair of moon boots out to the starting line for warming up my feet between races. Your tiller can make a difference too. I use an extra long tiller so that I can run standing straight up without stepping on the plank. Some of the fastest runners in the class can look very clumsy when they are trying to climb into that tiny fuselage, which is already sailing faster than they can run. This is when a slow runner with a smooth well-practiced start can took like a hero.

I have found that the best time to practice starts is when there is no wind and everyone is sitting around drinking beer and telling stories. Sometimes, I go out with no sail up and just practice running with the boat. It is also a good way to find out if your runners are tracking well.

The best way to get to the finish line fast is by beginning with a good start. Like anything else, good starts take practice. An entire book could be written on this issue if I went into each minute detail. I hope everyone will be able to use this outline when they set up their training for this season.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact me at 313-790-5557.

Good Luck! See you on the ice.