I'll share with you one thing I noticed that helped quite a good deal with speed and adjusting for the big shifts. I didn't think the wind was all THAT variable except for the last race on Sunday. However, there was a large difference and a lot of shifting between the wind on the water and the wind 20 feet in the air - it was a very big deal to look at your entire sail top to bottom and tune your twist accordingly. At times, there was a 15 degree difference in the direction of the wind at the top of my mainsail and what the bridle tells were saying. I was constantly adjusting mainsail twist to catch that different angle when sailing up and downwind. Only once on the first beat on the last Sunday race did I get stuck and I had some CRAZY wind at the top and the bottom - I had a slight breeze at a good close hauled heading down low but the boat was in irons for a good 60 seconds. I never did figure out what was happening up top but we did actually check under the boat to make sure we hadn't snagged something.

I've sailed quite a bit up there over the years and am used to what the land does to the breeze - which helps anticipate where the breeze will be. You balance that knowledge with visual observation to build a start / first leg strategy. That area of that lake has some very specific trends that you can count on. I'll be glad to share what I think I know if you'll share the same with me - just ask. That's one thing Trey taught me when he first started beating me regularly. He was asking questions of everyone - I had gotten too proud. Once off the line, you try to maintain leverage on your competition who may have gone on a flier to the opposite side or go after whoever is in front of you while trying to hedge your course to whatever side you think is going to get the pressure or the shift...tack on the shift first, and you'll gain every tack. Very often we would end up going up the middle because 2/3rds of the 20's went right when I really wanted to go left.

That technique works when racing in a one design fleet but it won't work out so well for portsmouth racing. Being on a boat with the lowest rating means you have to abandon most protection / leverage / fleet racing and just go where you think you need to be to get around the course the fastest and stay clean and clear.