This question is for racing sailors:
Which is your favorite point of sail for buoys racing -- windward or leeward or reach? And why -- because you are best at it? Or most challenging? Most tactics? Most skill? Most fun?

And if you had a choice for a distance race, what true wind would you want -- from dead astern, broad reach, beam reach, close reach, on the nose?

Would your choices be different depending on whether you are racing one-design or on handicap (since some boats excel on specific points of sail)?

I am just assuming that most non-racers would choose the beam reach just because it is the fastest and funnest, but other factors come into play when racing.

Whichever one is the best to catch waves at the time.

Okay, I'm going to give my own answer to my own question.(Had to ask something I could answer, because I don't know anything at all about epoxy and resin and gelcoat.)
Personally, when I am on the helm, I prefer upwind sailing. One reason is that I can "feel" the boat better. Another is that as a child I first learned to sail on the windward leg, learning the correct angle of the shroud telltale and learning how the wind felt on my cheek when I was doing it exactly right. Another reason is that in the monohull world where I grew up, the windward leg was always said to be the leg that "separated the men from the boys." If you got to the windward mark first, you got the respect of the other sailors, even if you were last to the leeward mark. Just thought of a fourth reason, so this has been edited in: Sailing upwind I feel more in control of the boat, whereas downwind I feel more like the boat is in control.

And even as a crew, I prefer the upwind leg to the leeward leg, because I understand the tactics better than I do on the leeward leg, and I like the skills involved in trying to achieve the perfect roll tack and trying to (but rarely succeeding) beat the skipper out onto the wire.

But as a crew, my favorite buoys leg of all is the reach, because it involves the most sail-handling skill and work on the part of the crew. Unfortunately, most buoys racing does not include reaches any more.

my favorite point of sail is the one that takes me away from the pwc owners.

Mary,

While I enjoy the windward leg for many of the same reasons you mentioned, I get the most exhileration downwind on a broad reach when the wind is cranked up over 25 knots and the waves are steep. Nothing like the thrill of charging up the backside of a wave, accelerating down the face, stuffing the bows up to the main beam, verifying that skipper and crew are still aboard, and then repeating again and again

Boy, it is really hard to phrase a question properly to get the information you are looking for. So let me try again:
If you were designing an around-the-buoys race course that would most benefit you, would you personally prefer to have more upwind legs, more downwind legs, more reaching legs? And would you rather finish upwind or downwind?

Mary,

All right, all right . . .

My personal preference is for windward/leeward, with a windward finishing leg.

When Crewing I prefer DOWN WIND in 15 to 20 with spray flying and the Bows stuffing. I usually am looking for a snorkle, and it is usually something that can be fun for both skipper and crew as long as we stay on the boat!! Unless the skipper keeps yelling "Do something about that Jib!!!"

In a buoys race, it's kinda hard more than one of each on a W/L course. I mean, what goes up(wind), must come down. It seems reaching legs are all but forgotten now. At a recent regatta on Galveston Bay, there was one reaching leg total, out of 5 races! We've already had a discussion on the pros and cons of a reaching leg. Personally, I prefer reaching legs, at either end of the course. I do like the more recent skill acquistion of sailing my spinaker, which of course is more off the wind, but do I feel I seem to excell more going to weather.

I like downwind racing with my 5.2 because it really seemed fast that way. Running down a competitor, stealing their wind and going for a pass is a great thrill - then hold your spot and cover upwind. My 6.0NA seems most strong sailing up wind, and come to think of it I prefer upwind with the 6.0 although I haven't raced that boat a whole lot yet.

That being said, now it seems to me that I like sailing whatever point of sail let's me pass competitors AND that I need to look at my upwind tuning on the 5.2 and my downwind tuning on my 6.0 ....hmmmm

As far as courses go, I prefer windward leeward, windward finish but I wouldn't object to a course that threw in one reaching leg.

I have to say that going downwind with one or two on the trap on an I20 in 20-25 is an absolute blast. That is definitely the most fun you can have. Not for the faint of heart though.

I like windward-leeward courses with a windward finish. Throw in a reaching leg once in a while to keep me honest.

Mike Hill
H20 #791

You know, I thought I'd miss the wet and wild downwind ride on the H20, but since I've graduated to the dry side of the boat I don't miss it all that much anymore. Oh sure, Dennis will still kick me to the leeward side if the conditions warrant it. I do like riding on the leeward side handling the spinnaker and flying a hull, but I rarely take buckets of water in the face anymore.

But to answer Mary's question. I prefer windward/leeward courses. I've only sailed in a race once that had a suitable reach mark set up and it was a blast. The other times the course was not set good and it wasn't a reach at all. It was just a mess.

I like sailing downwind on the wire handling the chute around the buoys.

I don't like sailing on a beam reach in 35 mph gusts 30 mph steady, in a whiteout out in the middle of a channel in the Chesapeake Bay like last Labor Day.

My favorite course is a windward/leward with a clearing mark of about 8 to 10 boat lenghts at the top mark. This will give you a small blast reach and give my crew more of a chance to set up before the kite set.

Also must have a gate at the bottom to give you options as to which way to round. I find this course the most tackticaly challenging.

Stephen Medwell
Team Tornado 'ALIVE'
www.tornadoalive.com

For me its the point where I'm ahead....

thom