Very good ideas posted here. One thing to remember that I don't see mentioned (and which applies to all sailing craft) is the old adage "tactics are slow". If you think about it, trying to keep your boat between the mark and your competitor will keep you ahead of him/her, but usually allows the rest of the fleet to work their way around the both of you... So there's a balance between spending the minimum time around the course, and engaging in tactical duels with other sailors to gain/protect your lead.

Yes, you always want to be sailing just lower and just faster than your competition downwind. Of course, since you sail faster than the wind in these conditions (in lighter air), you'll have to look AHEAD to figure out where your boat will be in the next minute, and where the wind will be. Some drive toward puffs, only to have them disappear by the time they get there. in certain conditions, it becomes more of connect the dots than zigzag gybes. In this case, you and your competitor may not be sailing in the same wind, even if you are within 3 boatlengths of each other...

Also keep in mind that the dude (or dudes) behind you have a controlling position downwind. The sailor closest to you can drive down on you and cover, while boats further toward A mark can disrupt the wind enough to affect your course midway down to C (depending on fleet size).

If someone is moving to cover, you can go high and drive them off before you gybe, fake a gybe, or other shenanigans to shake them. Again, all of this increases your total time on the course, allowing other fleet members to catch up/pass, or Portsmouth boats to gain the time advantage...

So, obviously, going dead downwind "wing and wing" is not good for boatspeed on an I-20, and going double trapped zigzag down to C is probably not the best either. So the "middle area" of which we all speak is really the art of boat racing.

So heat it up and build foil speed (and lift) to allow you to drive a bit lower (with the increased apparant windspeed over the sails), connect the dots in light air, keep an eye on the fleet, and spend the least amount of time on the course...

I've learned these lessons the hard way. The I-20 fleet here is strong, and those boys (and girls) don't let you get away with ANYTHING! Blow a tack, and you're stuck with 5th place. Take a puff too high, and you're back 3 more places. Get into a tactical duel, and you're going to be one of the last two finishers...


Jay