Some starts are good. Some are daring. And then there’s that one start that sailors still talk about years later: a boat, with the wind on its port side, approaches the left end of the starting line and crosses it ahead of the whole fleet, even though all the others, with the wind on their starboard side, actually have right of way.
That is exactly what happened at the start of the second race of the TP52 World Championship off Porto Cervo, Sardinia. The “Sled” (USA 5095), owned and helmed by Takashi Okura, pulled off a picture-perfect start, leading the entire field of top-class competitors. It must have been a rare moment of pure joy even for an experienced crew such as that led by six-time America’s Cup winner and tactician Murray Jones. Right at the starting signal, his team was already 50 metres ahead.
The start in the replay
The infamous “Port-Tack Flyer”
In English regatta jargon, this manoeuvre is called a ‘port tack flyer’. In German, it can be described as a start with the wind on the port side at the favoured pin end, or, in short, as a starboard start – meaning a start on the starboard bow, as it used to be called.
This start is spectacular when it goes well. But for that to happen, everything has to go just right. If it does, you get off to a flying start with a clear run and a huge positional advantage. If it goes wrong, you risk having to take evasive action, ending up in a poor position or facing a protest; you’ll look a right fool, and your only options will be to pass behind the entire field or look for some gap – usually an unfavourable one – to tack.
That’s why you so rarely see this sort of launch. The conditions have to be just right, and there’s a high risk of failure.
The following conditions must be met:
- The line must be clearly ‘at an angle’ to the wind; the left-hand end must be further to windward
- The field must not close the gap at the starting line marker
- The timing has to be right
- Any vessel approaching with the wind from port must at all times be able to keep clear of vessels with the wind from starboard
Why the port-tack manoeuvre rarely works
According to the rules, a boat with the wind on her port side is at a disadvantage. Under Rule 10 of the Racing Rules, she must keep clear of a boat with the wind on her starboard side. So, a boat starting in this way cannot expect the others to make way. That is why boats usually start with the wind on starboard, even if the port side has the advantage. In that case, they start on the port side at the pin end – unless, as in this instance, the rest of the fleet fails to recognise the significant advantage.
How to recognise the side with the advantage
Whether such a start is even an option is decided long before the starting signal is given. The most important question is: Which end of the starting line is further to windward?
The favoured end is not automatically the end that is visually or, when measured, closer to the first mark. The decisive factor is the angle of the line to the wind. If the left-hand end – that is, the pin end – is higher in the wind, a boat starting from there has a spatial advantage over boats at the right-hand end or in the middle.
There are several ways to tell. The simplest method is the ‘head-into-the-wind’ test: sail to the centre of the line, briefly point the boat into the wind and check which end is further forward – that is, further to windward. If the bow points more towards the pin end, or if that end is visibly higher, the left side has the advantage.
A compass provides greater accuracy. To do this, you first take a bearing on the starting line and compare it with the wind direction. A fair line is roughly at right angles to the wind. If the angle deviates significantly, one end has an advantage. The longer the line, the greater the effect even a small angle has.
Another method is to sail the line in both directions. To do this, with the sails perfectly set, sail along the line with the wind on the starboard side, tack without changing the sail setting, and then sail the line with the wind on the port side. If the sails are now too close to the course, port has the advantage; if they are too far out, starboard does.
Risk is always part of the journey
Under no circumstances should the Port-Tack manoeuvre be ‘signalled’. Anyone who positions themselves at the pin end too early alerts the opposition to the fact that this side might offer an advantage. Others will then move up sooner, block the gap or start more aggressively from the left end themselves.
That is why the start only works if a realistic route remains open right up until just before the signal. Many good sailors initially stay inconspicuously with the fleet, break away late, sail out below the pin end, tack or jibe into position, and accelerate back towards the line with the wind on their port side.
That sounds elegant, but it’s prone to errors. Anyone who’s too early has to sail a short distance along the line before they can start. In doing so, they get closer to the main field and may lose their initial advantage. Anyone who’s too late will be missing the crucial few metres needed to get past the others.
Particular care must also be taken when tacking, as the boat must keep clear of other vessels during the tack until it is back on a close-hauled course.
Once that dream moment is over, the real work begins
The start is only truly worthwhile if the plan for what comes next is right too. A free run, speed and the freedom to make your own decisions are more important than the fleeting pleasure of having been in the lead for a moment.
If the left side of the cross fits in with the wind strategy, the starter can often build on their advantage. The key then is to avoid unnecessary tacks and not to lose the lead whilst seeking cover or in duels.
If, on the other hand, the right-hand side of the cross is better, things become more difficult. In that case, the boat must find a way to get onto the desired side in good time after the start. The line advantage alone might not be enough if the next wind shift, stronger wind or weaker current favours the right-hand side.
Incidentally, the crew of the “Sled” managed to capitalise on their head start and won the race. See the results...
Lars Bolle
Chief Editor Digital
