Lesson Learned

Local Knowledge

When sailing up to a weather mark off the club, it is easy to over stand if you sail up the right side. The wind from the channel that goes down past the hotel tends to give puffs that result in a lift on starboard tack. No one wants to have to have to make a short port tack into a line of starboard boats to fetch the mark. However, many boats sailed up to the mooring area and were reaching down to round the mark.

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The weather leg of our race crossed the leg of the PHRF boats sailing to Buoy 13. When we were on port going to weather to cross the harbor, we had to avoid them as they were on starboard tack going out. I always duck them to stern. I never tack. If you tack, they are just going to sail over you and give you more bad air. Also, the air in the line where they are all sailing is quite disturbed at our level. Get across their line as soon as you can to the clean air on the other side.

Written by Alan Palevsky.  Any comments? Send me an email