Race hard, race fast - and share it with the world!

For competitors, coaches and spectators.

The start of the race often sets the tone for how the rest of the race will go. In a very competitive fleet, where the sailors are all sailing one design boats and are of a high calibre, it is very difficult to come back from a poor start. The short course Olympic format has made the start even more critical than it was back in the 80's and 90's where courses were huge and therefore poor starters had more opportunity to catch up.

From a risk vs. reward point of view, the start affords the sailor the luxury of getting ahead of all the other boats in the fleet, without taking undue risks. All that is required is starting at the correct end of the line (if there is a bias), excellent speed at the gun and a clear 'lane' to sail away in. Easy? Not so - or everyone would get a great start. The reality is that the timing, positioning and acceleration required for a great start require a lot of practice, and discipline, to be able to get a great start more often than not.

Getting a great start is not everything though, the starter must also be able to quickly settle into the race and get the boat up to peak speed. For the first few minutes after the start, most boats will be simply tracking along on starboard tack, therefore the first few minutes of the race are usually nothing more than a drag race with each boat trying to get ahead of the pack. Those that got a poor start are usually trying to find an opportunity to tack away onto port, duck a few transoms and get into clear air.