Having said this I believe the current rule assumes that both boats are carrying spinnakers, or not.
Nope....Classic team racing ploy is when sailing down wind and there is one of the oppo coming down on top (and has become committed) is to drop the kite and luff then into fouling you - instant 360 reuired, you re-hoist the kite and disappear.
Another factor to consider when sailing with a spinnaker is that if you`re hit by a big gust, your only safe course of action is to bear off to prevent a capsize
so you always should have room to get low by ensuring you are passing well to windward or gybe and go behind
Another thing to consider is the issue of blind spots. On all boats they exist, and people do have accidents because they failed to see the other competitor.
So know where your blind spots are and make sure you look around (or under) them, a small bear off and the you can look under the kite no problem.
So now, if you hoist the kite, you will converge with the boats who rounded just before you. Answer : don`t hoist yet.
That is what I would do, delay hoist, even try and get inside the other boats by going extra low (as you will to hoist the kite anyway) once passed the mark - NON kite boats will want to power up ASAP and will not be interested in keeping you above them (usually)
So you beam-reach off to get some separation, then hoist. You have just delayed the point at which you will converge with the other boats, but have given yourself more options.
Maybe so, but you now have some space to work with and can now decide where you want to gybe (or not), you might just be able to power over the top (with some room for the gust induced bear off).
A gap develops between boats "D" & "G", and "F" has gybed away, so you gybe through the gap to get to leeward of the other boats. The problem is that now you are approaching the boats still beating to A-mark, you`re on port, and oh yes, you`re also weather boat. If "F" decides to gybe back you`re in a spot of bother as well, as now he`s on starboard.
Man, you gotta have eyes everywhere !!
Yes, you need eyes everywhere - to sail fast you need your eyes out of the boat most of the time.....
I think that if I was a spinnaker cat, boat E, If I could not have got water inside boats D & F between the A mark and the spreader mark, I would have tucked in behind one of them, even if it meant slowing down. Then when I reached the spreader mark I would have had the option of gibing away as I hoisted my kite. Especially if they were non spinnaker cats, because I would know that once I got clear air I would leave them sitting.
The second point I would make is that it is very difficult for E to judge the angle and gap between D and G (if they are anyway close) in attachment 4. If you are heading for the gap, unless you have your angle perfect, you may have to bear off to cross G's bow - slowing down (on port in front of him), or harden up to cross behind D - risking capsize onto D in a gust.
Of course, you still have to keep an eye out for F and the other cats still heading upwind.
Just my humble, friendly
, input.
Yes, agree with you here Durmot.
Also, the boats going to windward should be predictable as they all (should) at this stage of the beat be aiming for the Stbd layline as you are all close the the top mark - thus it is unlikly that they will be tacking early unless there is an overriding tacktical reason to do so, which you as being widward of them should be able to spot a mile away.
All this comes back to the fact you MUST keep your eyes out of the boat and avoid collisions, but by keeping your eyes open you (should) always have a good appreciation of what everyone is doing and why - Afterall the boats downwind of you coming up the beat are telling you what the wind is doing down there (and assuming you are travelling faster that true wind) you will want to know if you are about to sail into a header (good - should be able to sail lower) or a lift (bad - will need to sail higher, or gybe)
My 2 pence
