BMW Oracle rounding to starboard
We’ve all been there at one time or another – even with the best of planning, trapped on the port tack layline at the weather mark, with no way to find a legal way into a long line of starboard tack boats getting ready to round the weather mark to port. The rule changes of the last 10 years or so seem to have made for less protests in this sort of situation, but it hasn’t led to any increase in passing lanes, or general enjoyment, unless of course your idea of a good race is a parade.
Leeward gates have been in fashion for almost two decades now. While no one is exactly certain where the idea of a gate came from first, wise veterans of the sport tell me it was probably something Elvstrom first suggested. When leeward gates first started to become popular and well promoted on the west coast, I asked Dave Ullman if he had ever used a weather gate. He said that he in fact had, at several large (meaning probably 100+ boats on the same line and course) 470 regattas in Europe.
One of the benefits we’ve seen from the America’s Cup is their change to starboard roundings in match racing. I suspect that the Swedish Match series also helped to foster the growth of this trend in match racing.
Now it comes that in the recently completely Kiel German Sailing Grand Prix, for the fleet races between the three AC boats, weather gates were used, with I’m told by a participant in the regatta, a great deal of success.
The problem with really short courses with large fleets – which could mean even 15 boats – is that the overwhelming premium half way up the leg is protecting the right, so you have a chance to get in line at the weather mark. Depending on the course and breeze, often times your starting strategy is geared towards getting in line at the weather mark.
While it is a lot more simple to just set one weather mark and round to starboard, it might be better if we started using weather gates for windward-leeward races. This will of course place a premium on the ability of the RC to have a first class mark set team – but if all the racers take one day off a summer and help set marks for their fleet, the problem of additional RC personnel is largely solved.
Starboard stackups aren’t any fun for anyone. Why not try starboard roundings or weather gates in fleet races? The worst thing that can happen is that it doesn’t work and we go back to what we know. Or maybe it works well and we all have more fun.
September 20, 2006 at 11:40 am
Of course, starboard roundings in fleet racing are simply dangerous. Wiht boats lined up on the port layline, a single starboard tacker could induce chaos all down the line. Good for match racing, because there are only two boats; no good for fleet stuff.
That being said, a weather gate seems like an obvious good idea, for the same reason as a bottom gate — it’s a place to bail out to. And yes, we’re all getting good at protecting the right side of the course, which cuts passing lanes in half, more or less.
jrc
September 25, 2006 at 1:40 pm
In theory, starboard roundings seem cool, and if every skipper on a race course was a pro, and had rock star crews, it wouel be really cool to watch. The truth is, that not everyone who races a boat has 40+ hours a week to dedicate to pratice/racing, and most people have a hard time finding 10 hours a week to go sailing, and with out praticing every day, all year arround, skippers are going to loose controll of there boats and ther are going to be ALOT MORE CRASHES. In college sailing starboard roundings woudl make it really interesting, as it also would in in the olympics, and in boats where pros drive or the owners are really really really good, like Melges 24’s, TP52’s, America’s Cup. Other than these classes, I dont know of many other big boat classes where the talent would allow starboard roundings. In small boat classes, where the boats can “bounce” off each other, I think starboard rounding would be really cool. In the local Lightning fleet, I think it might make for some really interesing sailing, espically if your not one of the first 3 boats arround the make and are caught in the mob.
If your local one fleet feels that everyone on the race course is good enough to be able to handle starboard roundings, go for it, but dont get angry when some one gets in to an accident and boats get crunched.
Matt
PS we sould try starboard roundings one night next summer in Lightnings to see if might work.
May 23, 2009 at 7:32 am
hh. 10x )