– Poor start(s).
A poor start means a poor race. If you start in 15th, the best possible outcome that may reasonably happen is you ending up 5th in that race – unless there is a large collision/capsize on the reach/run by one of the leaders. Be on the line at go, and have clean air!
– Getting into a luffing match.
A luffing match can often happen near marks. You’ve underestimated the lay line, and you’re pinching as much as you can to try and make that mark, and calling to the boat weather abeam: “room to round!” you head them up into a luff, and you two are luffing at the mark, trying to round as all the other boats pass by you. If you think you’re coming up short, or know you are, watch boats to your weather quarter, wait for an opportunity and tack up, and then back on the line.
– Don’t duel.
As mentioned earlier, dueling is a great way to lose position in a race. You lose sight of other boats, and only burden yourself in the long run. This doesn’t mean don’t be afraid of interaction with the fleet, but if you’re in a controlled position, get out! If somebody’s blanketing you, tack away! And avoid collisions!
– Control, don’t be controlled.
Some basic controlling tactics are: Leebowing, when you’re on somebody’s lee bow in a reach, you can control where they go, but they can make you overstand a mark by holding you to that tack, unless you pull away in a puff. It’s a trade off. Blanketing, stealing someone’s air by being directly weather of them, works most effectively on upwind and downwind. Backwinding, be ahead and slightly to leeward of them, on an upwind the wind coming off the lee of your sails will disturb their wind.
– When behind, don’t risk a likely disastrous loss for an unlikely spectacular gain.
Don’t be that person who tacked away from the fleet, searching for the header that never came. When behind in a race, especially series races, hold your position in the fleet, find clean air and try for a break. Exercise control tactics and be in the hump. Don’t try for all or nothing, it’s usually not worth it. The wise sailor accepts he had a bad start, or made a mistake, and immediately fixes/begins to fix it. He does not begin digging further into the hole he has made expecting somebody to come along and pull him out by the collar.
Advice
Don’t be reckless.
Sail as fast as possible, all the time.
Sail your own race, don’t worry what other boats are doing.
