Pete, on your port tack upwind example, you're most likely to be seeing spin boats on stb. If the course is favored such that you're making good progress on port tack, the boats at A will drive off and continue on Stb rather than a gybe-set.

As they heat up, they'll be driving deeper, which may put them closer to your bows. As the closing speed will likely be big, you would have to make a judgement call as to your next move:

- Hold your course/speed and they'll drive past you (best if you're mid-way up the course and they're pointing at or in front of you with a reasonable distance (more than a few boatlengths)

- prepare to duck their sterns, especially if you haven't made eye-contact with anyone on that boat OR you see they're somehow hindered in their options (like they're being pushed around by another spin boat). Conversely you could just ease the main a tad and slow up a bit rather than bang the boat up (works best in light air)

If the wind is back to the right at A, you'll see a lot of boats going down on port tack (gybe-set or set-gybe). If you're up near the top mark in this scenario, it could get dicey since the boats rounding (or leaving "A") are going to be busy and not paying attention as much to other boats coming up.

in either case a simple

HEY W.T.F should get attention and they'll likely drive around you. If not, you should alter course to avoid a collision and yell "Protest" to the offending boat (pulling out your trusty red flag)

You could also whistle at them to get their attention.


I guess the message here is you're going upwind and most likely slower than the downwind spin boats. Once they see you, it would likely be easier for them to work around you than the other way around. And, if you don't make any unanticipated moves, all the better. If you're the ROW boat, most sailors know you don't have to change course unless there's no other option.

Best way to get comfortable with all this commotion? Get out and sail the course! You'd be suprised at how much you already know, and you only doubt your abilities because you aren't out there too much.

It gets a lot easier judging whether you're going to cross ahead or behind the more you get placed in that situation. Once you get that, you're more likely to know if another boat is going to be an issue or not...

Hope it helps! Try some of this out at Charlotte Harbor in Feb!