Wow. That's the same question we were asking after 1st day of a regatta last weekend, 9th of 11 boats. Almost every boat could point and move upwind better. Fortunately, the A fleet was pretty large and we took a walk up the beach. Best setup education around, talk to the other crews and look at their boats. A Fleet is ready with answers if you ask nicely.
<br> We'd been running with the sidestays at midpoint on the chainplate, but all the A boats were at using the sidestays at 1-2 holes up from bottom. DOH! Shorter sidestays mean more mast rake. (You might need a 2nd forestay chainplate to get enough length to move this far down on the sidestay plates.) More mast rake means better upwind performance, specifically pointing ability. End result? Next day, a bullet and a 3rd, pulling up to 4th overall for the regatta.
<br> And while I'm at it, Rick's seminar gets some credit too. Winning a start gives a psychological boost that's worth as much as the tactical advantage. A port tack start from the favored end with speed rolled over everyone starting on starboard at the committee boat and led to the best finish. Rick would have been pleased, that move came off his chalkboard! And if you want some fun, make some buoys and try some drills. When we tried that on a free weekend, we soon found half a dozen other cats joining in. That's fun, and you get better too!
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