All of us know the agony of watching a pack of boats pick up a massive lift on one side of the course while we’re pinned on a header on the other side. Or maybe you’ve been lucky enough to experience that golden leg where every tack was perfectly timed as you picked your way effortlessly to the top mark, benefitting richly from one shift after another.
The difference between these two scenarios comes down to being able to understand what the wind is doing and setting your strategy accordingly.
Three of the most common breeze scenarios on the racecourse are:
- Oscillating shifts
- Persistent shifts
- One-sided racecourses
Each requires a different strategy – and recognising which one is in play, ideally before the start gun, is the key to a great first beat. This article breaks down the characteristics of each, gives some tips on how to spot them, and some hints how to develop a winning plan using a solid pre-race routine.
Building an accurate pre-race breeze picture
Before you even start thinking about possible tactics, it’s vital to establish what the breeze is doing — and how it’s likely to behave over the next hour. Here’s how to build that picture:
Check the forecast
Sounds obvious, but many club sailors skip this. A good local forecast gives invaluable information.
A forecast that the wind is going to move steadily over the day from 200 to 240 is a strong indication of a persistent shift. Make that your big picture view of the day as you leave the dock, but don’t rely on it blindly – your own observations and wind readings will tell you if the forecast is proving accurate or not.
Talk to the locals
If you’re new to a venue, ask around. Race committee members, local sailors, will usually have insights into how the breeze behaves. I sailed a lot with a tactician who, wherever we raced, would seek out the local fishermen and quiz them for info on the local conditions. He regularly picked up critical information like: ‘On sunny days, the left always fills in first’ and other juicy tips.
Record compass headings before the start
Get out to the race area at least an hour before the scheduled start time to make sure you can familiarise yourself with what the breeze is doing.
Every five to 10 minutes, sail head to wind and take a compass reading. Jot it down. Over 30 - 40 minutes, you’ll spot a pattern. If it swings left and right and comes back, it’s oscillating. If it is trending steadily in one direction, it’s persistent. If it’s fairly stable then you could have an even racecourse – but beware of the possibility that it could be a one-sided course created by a geographical phenomenon like a headland putting a bend in the breeze.
Sail the first beat and run before the gun
This is perhaps the most important – and most overlooked – tactic in your toolbox. Spend time sailing upwind in race mode, tacking regularly. Note your heading on port and starboard – both when you are lifted and when you are headed. Now repeat the process on the downwind leg, again sailing in full race mode. Record headings on either gybe.
Once you’re racing, this bank of data means you’ll know instantly whether you’re lifted, headed, or on an average heading. That information should enable you to make fast, confident decisions. Without it, you are just sailing blind.
Oscillating breeze means stay in phase
An oscillating breeze shifts back and forth around a mean direction — like a metronome.
Indicators of an oscillating breeze include: your pre-start wind check readings alternating left/right at regular intervals, boats on opposite sides gaining and losing at different times in your pre-start sailing, the average wind direction stays centred over time.
Making the most of an oscillating breeze on the first beat centres around making sure you are on the lifted tack as much of the time as possible. You should have factored in the rate of oscillation into your starting strategy to enable you to take advantage of the left or right shift immediately after the gun.
Work hard to ensure you are not boxed in and unable to tack when the next oscillation happens. Sometimes it is worth taking a couple of transoms to keep in phase with the breeze.
Avoid getting too close to the sides of the course – you could end up trapped out there if the shift goes against you. Working the middle of the course generally gives you more options.
Don’t over-tack chasing small shifts. Be disciplined.
Persistent shift means follow the trend
In a persistent shift the breeze clocks steadily in one direction and doesn’t return. You may have picked this up in your pre-start breeze checks where the breeze kept moving in one direction, or it may be something that happens later in the day that you picked up from the forecast or gleaned from the locals. Boats on one side of the course consistently gaining during your pre-start sailing is another strong indicator of a persistent shift.
Taking maximum advantage of a persistent shift means getting to the favoured side early. Your starting strategy should reflect this – if the breeze is going in one direction then you want to get to that side as quickly as possible.
Be wary, though, of the race committee setting a line that is biased away from the favoured side of the course to try to avoid bunching at one end of the line.
If you are confident that the shift is persistent then trust your judgement and commit to your strategy. Don’t sit indecisively in the middle of the course waiting for oscillations that simply aren’t there.
One-sided racecourse means don’t fight the inevitable
Sometimes, even when the breeze is oscillating in the pre-start, one side of the course always ends up paying – irrespective of the shifts. This could be due to land effects, current, or breeze compression, or other local factors.
If the same side pays hugely every time in your pre-start practice, or if there is clearly less current or more wind on one side, or if the local knowledge says always go left (or right) then you are dealing with a one-sided racecourse. I have raced on many of these in my time, but Santa Cruz, Lake Garda in the Ora breeze, and Palma Bay are three renowned one-sided tracks.
The best strategy in this scenario is to head for the money side as soon as possible. If you have judged the benefit to be huge then it may be worth sailing on a header to get across to the favoured side as quickly as possible.
If you know there is a favoured side then just accept it. Don’t assume things will balance out at some point. Again, have confidence in yourself – if you’ve done the prep and seen the pattern, then don’t second-guess it.
It’s important to understand the reason for the favoured side. If there is always more pressure on one side then it should pay upwind and down. If the benefit is current-related, then you will most likely want to avoid that side on the run.
Prep Like the Pros
At the top levels of our sport, teams build their entire tactical plans before the start gun — and so can you.
Let’s summarise the routine:
- Check the forecast for clues
- Talk to locals — they know the quirks
- Record compass headings every 5 minutes for 40 minutes before the start
- Sail the first beat and run, take headings on every tack and gybe
- Use those headings during the race to know instantly if you’re lifted or headed
- Back yourself – trust your well-researched decisions, no second guessing
Arming yourself with the right information means you’re not reacting — you’re anticipating. You’re not guessing — you know. And that’s the real difference between front of the fleet and mid-fleet frustration.
Get all areas access to Yacht Racing Life with a Full Membership free 30-day trial. There's no obligation and you can cancel at anytime.
