Hey all,



Been a while since I've posted, so I thought, why not stir things up with a question.



I'm interested in hearing what your philosophy is regarding the race committees setting of a starting line. I'd especially like to hear from folks who have judged races.



Our club races every weekend of the summer, and we rotate judging positions so that everyone judges at least a couple of times. We're putting together the racing instructions for this summer, and have been discussing the inconsistencies of how starting lines are set, specifically, the length of the line.



So, please answer the following questions:



1. How do you determine the ideal length of the line?

2. Do you always try to set lines that are perfectly square, or if anything port-favored or starboard favored?

3. What would your approach be to helping a judge who you feel is setting the line incorrectly? (If it's possible to set a line incorrectly.)

4. Based on your answer to question number 1, do you err on the long side, or on the short side?

5. Are any of your answers based on rules, or just on preferences?

6. Please cover anything I haven't covered with the above questions.



Thank you for your input!