The start is one of the most important things in racing as without a good start you will end up bottom of the fleet.

1. Stop Watch

To do a good start the main thing you need is a stop watch so that you know how much time you have left before the start of the race and so you can get yourself into a good position. If you don’t have a stop watch then watch carefully at the signals the committee boat is giving out such as flags, hoots and what everyonelse is doing.

2. Do a Transit

A transit is where you go alongside the committee boat and see where the pin is. You then find a point on the coast or horizon, which you can remember so that you know exactly where the line is. This is especially useful when it is a black flag start and no-one is allowed over the line when it is one minute to go. You will also have the advantage, because most people will not know where the line is and so will not be as close to the line as you are for fear of disqualification.

3. Find out if there is a bias

A bias is when there is a buoy that is close to the wind than the other. This means it is better to start on the buoy, which is closer to the wind than the other. This will establish whether or not there is a port bias or starboard bias. Since port gives way to starboard, knowing if there is a bias is crucial in any race. Going on port is very risky as if the bias is not large enough your going to be crashing into the fleet and you will be in the wrong. So check if there is a bias by either seeing which buoy you are beating to (the other tack is biased) or get a compass and get a reading when you are on the line using your transit and then add 90 degrees to you reading and tack to that course. If you are head to wind there is no bias. If you are anythingelse there is a bias on that tack and that is the one you should go for. Strategy tip: sometimes if there is only a small port bias it is better to go on a starboard tack and then tack at the start of the race especially if you are starting on the starboard side of the start line.

4. At one minute to go choose your starting point

At one minute to go everyone will be at the start line and will either be sitting on one side or constantly tacking and gybing, so it is best to find a spot and stay near it. Using all the methods above you should have established if you will start in the middle, port or starboard. At one minute to go, you should be at that point.

5. Ready, Steady, GO!

At 10 seconds to go you should be on the correct tack, be pulling all your sails in and gathering speed. At 5 seconds to go you should start to head up and at the same time be making sure your not over the line or have been pushed by a leeward boat. On the horn you should be over the line, not before or after. You should then decide whether to tack or continue on your course depending on your plan, what the wind is doing and what everyonelse is doing.

In conclusion to have a great start you need to be committed, have a plan and have some gadgets that will help you long the way. Having a good start can give you a great finish!

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