' Choosing Your Moment

 

There are many great reasons to sail an RS Aero from its lightweight handling to its big fleet racing. When you are in the middle of a big fleet in the moment it can often seem overwhelming, with lots of boat on boat situations that can lead to winning or losing multiple places. Many of us instinctively choose to take a too aggressive approach towards other boats around us, not wanting to let someone go over you on the reach, or tack on you on the beat. In some situations, this is the right move and is definitely something you should be considering, however there are also some common situations where staying out of trouble can be your best option!

 

 

Another example where we can show some restraint and choose our moment wisely is on a reach. When there is a big pack of boats behind you all you want to do is head up and fight for your slice of clean air. In some scenarios, this is the only option saving you from getting rolled by half the fleet. However, in others it can often pay to hold your nerve and stay low on the reach where possible (when I say low I mean best VMG). Before luffing, always consider whether the boat(s) you want to head up are an imminent threat and whether in reality they have enough speed to come over the top of you - if your sailing your own boat as fast as you can, this is unlikely to be the case. By staying low you are maintaining a good angle into the next mark, allowing you to come in with speed. Had you luffed even 10ËÅ¡, you may now find yourself running to the mark which is very slow. As well as this, if it’s a gybe mark, you are maintaining the inside line to the mark, allowing you to come out in front.