On the Chesapeake Bay, We race with CBYRA and handle starts both ways.

The races are usually 3 miles or longer around fixed govt marks. The course is the same for all boats.

For the PSA overnight Race of 40 miles, Beach Cats start last and finish well ahead of the mono's.

For the West River Twilight Race, We are the first start (assuming we get the fleet out to the start line in time)

For the 165 boat NASS 35 mile Race to Oxford, we are the fastest boats on the course and start last behind the PHRF A0 and Crusing Multihulls.

For the Race Back, We start in the middle of the fleet off of Tred Avon Yacht club for a 20 mile back in forth in the Choptank river and out o the Bay to Poplar Island.

In light air... you just need to clear your air... Not easy with lots of boats out there. Stay on the weather hip of the fleet. In breeze... you pass the mono's so quickly that it's not that much of an issue upwind. If you are double trapped.. you can play the puff's to climb above any monohull out there (Nevertheless, they stil believe that cat's don't go to weather)

Downwind... you will have to zig and zag through the parade of mono's running dead down wind. You are windward and overtaking so you have to thread the needle through several boats knowing that you don't have a lot of options for bearing off and the mono chutes throw up a big wind shadow. This is much easier to do without a chute up. Usually you just have to cross the fleet once... because for the next cross you will be far ahead.


By all means, make an effort to make sure your guys know the CURRENT rules, discuss the likely crossing situations a head of time, AND exercise some common sense and graciousness.

It goes along way, when you try to do the race the next year.

Mark