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ghost

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lets pretend your'e in a race, pinching hard on starboard, ya gotta make this mark thats on the nose 300 yards off. The tide's gently pushing you to weather. The mark is in danger of going out of sight behind the jib but ya can't head up anymore, the next boat is about two boatlength's behind you and slightly off to lee and you really cant tack. You dont want to give up your lead.
What can you do to make this mark?
 
Is this what you mean?

race.jpg


Bear away and that's his only option, so you cover the mark and round it first. Or am I completely wrong?
I'm assuming you have to leave it to starboard.
 
I've read it twice and don't understand the problem ...

You're beating on Starboard tack ... albeit pinching as hard as you can.
The tide is pushing you to weather - so from port to starboard then
The mark you need to reach is dissapearing under your jib - so you can free off then
The opposition is in your lee - so your giving him dirty wind

So ... free off, get a bit more speed, aim for below the mark (assuming it is a port rounding) and head up when it is around 40 yards off - but don't go too low!

You don't need to tack - your on starboard and can easily make the mark.

Unless I've totally misread what your asking!
 
yup - thats what I thought, port or starboard rounding - no issue! Don't tack!
If it is a port rounding you have to watch for the opposition though - he might squeeze in an overlap and demand water at the mark...
 
yes you're diagram's spot on, but leave the mark to port. bear away..........urgh not yet......
.....gotta make it........if you tack he'll have all the chocolates..........quick crew boss, what shall we do?
 
If the mark is dissapearing behind the jib you've made the mark ... if it is advancing down the starboard side of the vessel then you'll need to tack ... eventually...

One option would be to leave the tack until the last minute, as if you've been going at the same speed the opposition will have to tack too and still be behind you.
Alternatively, just tack to keep yourself between the opposition and the mark, if he tacks, you tack - but don't get caught out with a double tack....
 
mornin'
I screwed this post right up, had an unexpected vist from someone with a bottle of wray & nephews, tunes on, girls wiggling, could'nt concentrate last night sorry for wasting your time.

same boats, same mark, wind from port - doh!.
Tide pushing you beyond your transit, now you cant head up any more, you cant tack onto matey's nose,
what can you do on board to make a magical difference?
 
I'm totally confused. You say the mark is disappearing behind the genoa and the tide is carrying you upwind which implies you are overstanding the mark but everything else implies that you will have to tack to lay the mark. Which is it?

Also if the following boat is to leeward and you tack you won't cross his bow.
 
as lake sailors diagram above, but wind from port, youre lead boat, I apologised for not getting it right last night, much distractions in the 'hoose'.
Mark appearing from behind the jib -
 
I would say you have two options. You could exercise your luffing rights - you would slow down but bring yourself directly in front of him forcing him to either tack (problem solved) or to luff with you and slow down also. That should pull you out of the leeward position and give you clear water to tack.

Alternatively you could bear away to pick up boat speed so you draw ahead but to leeward then tack onto starboard as soon as you are far enough away to give him time to respond.

Neither is foolproof agains a good opponent of course
 
I guess what you mean is pinch a bit closer to the wind in order to slow the boat down and let the tide carry you above the mark? Depending on the strength of the tide, it may be quicker than the alternative of tacking.
 
But in Lakesailor's diagram the other boat's on your leeward quarter, so luffing him isn't possible. Tho' I would probably luff anyway if the velocities/vectors were right to let the tide carry me up to the mark. Anyway, the other boat will almost certainly have to tack to make the mark. I don't see that he's a threat at the moment unless he's much faster.
 
No, I didn't mean pinching more. I meant luffing up really hard, i.e. swerving across his bows so he has to take action to avoid hitting you. The question is still a bit unclear but if we take it that Lakesailor's diagram applies but with the wind shifted 90° to port the following boat is now sitting on our weather quarter.

Actually I'm on shaky ground here because I've not done much racing since the old days of 'mast abeam' so any clarification on the luffing rules would be welcome. In those days you were allowed to luff as far as head to wind as long as you didn't tack.
 
If wind is shifted 90 to port then it's coming from dead ahead? Do you mean 180 degrees so it comes from your port side, but then the tide isn't pushing you to weather as described in the question?

Whatever the layout, if, as described in the question, we're struggling to make a mark wind against tide, and the tide is helping to push us above it, (ignoring the guy behind is for a minute) I would consider harnessing the tide. However 300 yards is a long way, so at first I would do nothing - maybe the tide will carry us above the mark without any further effort on our part, or maybe it will end up so far to weather that tacking will be outr only option. So I'd wait until we're about 50-100 yds away. If it looks like we JUST won't make it, I'd luff a bit to slow the boat down and let the tide carry us above the mark. If the other guy is close on our weather quarter, then your tactic of luffing hard and trying to force him to tack would be a good one. If he's not, then continue to ignore him.
 
p.s.

my "I guess you mean" was actually aimed at Ghost's original post, not your luffing bit!
 
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