Continuation of Racing to Win by Steve Milby
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Using Psychology as an Offensive Weapon

As you can see, a great deal of benefit can be gained if you can get inside the mind of your opponent, understand how he thinks and what is motivating him, and either goad him to take action that runs counter to his better interests, or lull him into inaction until it is too late. 

Use Deception

In that vein, you can benefit by deceiving your opponent into thinking you are about to do one thing, and then when he reacts to that feint, you do something quite different. (For example, taking a “feint tack” during a tacking duel. You take a feint tack by bringing the boat head-to-wind, just as you normally do when you tack the boat, but then, instead of crossing the wind and falling off onto the opposite tack, you simply fall back onto your original tack.) When trying a feint tack or other deceptive move, it helps if you are a good actor. Call out your commands in a clear voice, so your opponent can hear you. Have your crew initiate the maneuver with vigor, right up until the time that you fall back onto your previous course.

Don’t telegraph your punches. You have the advantage of knowing what you are going to do. Before he can react, your opponent must see what you are doing, interpret your actions, decide correctly how to respond, and call out an appropriate command to his crew, all of which takes time. Keep your opponent in doubt about your tactics as long as you can. For example, when you are overtaking him on the downwind leg, instead of approaching him on his windward quarter, approach him on his leeward quarter. He might be confused, thinking it is foolish of you to try to pass him to leeward. If you suddenly and unexpectedly reach across his stern, you might get a jump on him, and he might not be able to gybe his mainsail and/or his poled-out jib in time to hold you back. 

Be Proactive

Don’t just sail around the racecourse waiting for something to happen, and then try to react correctly to whatever happens. Try to make things happen that will work to your benefit. Try to goad your opponent into making mistakes. Move your boat into a position that threatens your opponent. Make him think you are getting ready to pass him, or to blanket his sails, or to gain right-of-way over him. When you move into a position that challenges your opponent, he is forced to make a decision to either stay where he is, or to get clear. If he stays, you might blanket his sails. If he changes course, he might veer away from the next mark, or he might sail out of a wind puff. Prod him into changing his course or his game plan without considering all the ramifications of what he is doing. His mistake will be your gain. 

Using psychology is one of those tactics that is often regarded as aggressive, and should generally be used only against experienced, race-toughened opponents.

Using the Racing Rules as an Offensive Weapon

In order to be really successful in any level of racing, you must have a thorough working knowledge of the racing rules. In close racing competition, you cannot afford to allow an opponent to pass ahead of you because you are unsure of the rules, and don’t realize that you have the right-of-way. By the same token, you must not violate the rules because you think, incorrectly, that the rules support your action. In a regatta where the competition is keen, one disqualification in one race will virtually ensure that you will not win the regatta. You must know the rules so well that you can quickly and correctly assess the situation, and confidently stand your ground when challenged by an opponent. 

Take Advantage of Your Right-Of-Way

“Right-of-way” can be defined as “The right to proceed, unimpeded, in a lawful direction.” As you sail around the course, you should determine your rights with reference to each boat you encounter, and look for any opportunity to exercise your right of way, to the detriment of your opponents. Let me describe some examples.

When overtaking another boat from astern, look at the set of his sails. Suppose your opponent is running downwind on port tack, with his boom hanging over his starboard side, and his whisker pole holding his jib out on the port side of his boat. You are running downwind on starboard tack, with your boom hanging over your port side and your jib poled out to starboard. Now, suppose you are approaching him from astern and slightly to port. When you begin to get on his wind, he will probably steer his boat to starboard, to try to keep out of your windshadow. When he does that, you should pass him to port. If he wants to try to block you by bringing you up to windward, he will first have to get luffing rights, which means that he must put his boat on the same tack as yours (starboard). To do that, he must gybe his mainsail and his poled-out jib, and he must get it done before you get into the “mast abeam” position. Unless he and his crew anticipate what you are going to do and are very good, he’ll just let you go by. 

If the above facts are the same, but you are approaching the other boat from astern and slightly to starboard, then your opponent will probably steer to port, to try to stay out of your windshadow. If you pass him to starboard, then he must, again, put his boat on the same tack as yours (starboard). To do that, he must gybe his mainsail and his poled-out jib. By the time he gybes his sails, you will have moved into the mast abeam position, and be beyond his grasp.

Blocking an Opponent

Occasionally, you can use the right-of-way rules to block your opponent and to gain an advantage for yourself. For example, in the C-25 National Regatta, the race committee usually uses a triangular America’s Cup course, in which the first and last legs of the race are beats to windward. In the 1984 National Regatta, after the start of one race, the wind shifted dramatically, so that any boat that was approaching the finish line on port tack was sailing toward the finish line at an oblique angle of about 165 degrees to the finish line. Any boat that was approaching the finish line on starboard tack was sailing toward the finish line at an angle of about 75 degrees. One of my competitors was sailing on port tack toward the port end of the finish line. My boat was also on port tack, sailing on a course that was parallel to, and to leeward of the other boat. Although my boat was about two or three boat lengths ahead of the other boat, the other boat was closer to windward than my boat. If we both held our port tack courses, the other boat would cross the finish line first, near the pin end of the line, and my boat would cross the finish line afterward, a little farther down the finish line.

Instead of waiting for that inevitable result, we tacked onto starboard tack when we reached the point at which we were on the layline for the marker buoy on the pin end of the finish line, and quickly trimmed our sails so that they were full and drawing on starboard tack. We were now sailing on starboard tack toward the marker buoy at the pin end of the finish line, and we had the right-of-way over our opponent, who was still on port tack. I immediately hailed the other boat, claiming right-of-way as a starboard tack boat. If our opponent held his course, he could not cross the finish line without colliding with us. In fact, he could not cross the finish line ahead of us, because we were the right-of-way boat, and we were blocking him from it. He had no alternative but to fall off and cross our stern, allowing us to cross the line ahead of him. Because this all took place at the finish line, the members of the race committee were themselves witnesses to the incident, and there could be no dispute about the facts. By tacking our boat at precisely the right time, we gained right-of-way and were able to cross the finish line ahead of a boat that would otherwise have beaten us. 

In order for this maneuver to be successful, you must not violate the rule against tacking too close. The racing rules require that, after the tack, (1) your boat must be brought onto a close-hauled course, and, at that time, (2) the other boat must have an adequate opportunity to yield the right of way and to stay clear of you. The rules do not permit one boat to put another into a situation in which it is impossible for the other boat to yield the right of way and to keep clear. Technically, the rules do not require that you prove that your sails are “full and drawing” on the new tack in order to establish your rights as a starboard tack boat, but I strongly suggest that you do so. The racing rules provide that, a yacht that tacks or jibes has the onus of satisfying the race committee that she has completed her tack or jibe clear of other boats. Therefore, your right of way as a starboard tack boat will not be recognized until you prove that your boat was brought onto a close-hauled course after the tack. If your sails aren't full and drawing, it is harder to prove that you were on a close-hauled course. When witnesses can see that your sails are full and drawing, it's pretty hard to argue that you weren't on a close-hauled course. If your sails aren't full and drawing, then the question is open to argument. When you are involved in a protest, it isn't enough to be right. You have to be able to prove that you were right.

It is also important that your boat be clear ahead of the port tack boat when you enter the two boat circle. If he has an overlap on you when you enter the two boat circle, you must allow him room at the mark. Therefore, you must enter the two boat circle before you begin to tack, and, at that instant, the port tacker must not have an overlap. If you tack before you enter the two boat circle, you will create an overlap. Under the rules, the yacht that claims an inside overlap has the onus of satisfying the race committee that the overlap was established in the proper time. Thus, any doubt in that respect will be resolved in your favor.

Using the racing rules in this manner is also one of those tactics that is often regarded as aggressive, and should generally be used only against experienced, race-toughened opponents. Moreover, this maneuver requires precise timing and perfect execution. It is very risky, because, if you stumble, you might be disqualified. Therefore, you must consider the risk carefully before using it.

Never Give Up!

Perhaps this is a good time to emphasize the importance of tenacity. Ted Turner thought it so important that he named one of his favorite racing boats “Tenacious.” In the incident described above, we were only a few yards away from the finish line, and we still found a way to come from behind at the last moment and to cross the line ahead of our opponent. All around the racecourse you should be constantly searching for opportunities to improve your position, and you should not stop until you have crossed the finish line. When something goes wrong and you fall behind, keep telling yourself “It’s a long race. Other boats are going to make their share of mistakes. There is still time to work our way to the front.” And then, never give up! Never, never, never give up! You don’t have to finish first in every race in order to win a regatta or a championship. You will be surprised at how often you will finish near the front after a bad start, and, when it is time to determine the winner of the regatta or the annual club championship, the fact that you finished fourth or fifth place in one race, instead of sixth or seventh, might be determinative of the outcome. Come to think of it, that’s a pretty good philosophy for living your whole life.

Overtaking and Passing Downwind

When you are attempting to overtake and pass another boat on the downwind leg, you will notice that the skipper and crew of the overtaken boat will be watching you like a hawk. They want to know, right away, when you attempt to alter your course to block their air, so that they can alter their course, and keep their air clear. If you are patient and watch them carefully, the skipper and crew will almost always look ahead momentarily. When you see them look away, that is when you should initiate your move. You might get 2-3 seconds to get into position before one of them looks back and sees that you are on the move. By that time, it may be too late for them to keep you off their air. 

If you are in the lead boat, appoint one crew member to glue his eyes on the overtaking boat, with instructions to alert you the instant that it changes course.

If I am overtaken from astern and blanketed by a faster boat, I do not always steer for clear air if I will not be in his windshadow for very long. Realistically, I know I can’t hold him back, so I let him go by, and then get on his air as soon as he passes me. By blanketing his sails and delaying a faster boat that has a big handicap, I can prevent him from making up his handicap time. By allowing him to get past me quickly, I can prevent the faster boat from slowing me down so much that it reduces my lead over other boats. Remember, you are not just racing against the boat that is presently harassing you; you are racing against the whole racing fleet. 

The Effect of the Bow Wave

Whenever a sailboat is moving through the water, the bow wave that it creates moves along at the same speed as the boat. If a faster boat overtakes a slower boat while both are running downwind, the faster boat will continue gaining on the slower boat until it encounters the bow wave of the slower boat. When the faster boat encounters the bow wave of the slower boat, the wave will have a similar effect as if your car is trying to drive over a high concrete curb. Unless the faster boat has enough power or speed to punch through the slower boat’s bow wave, the bow wave will restrain the speed of the faster boat. As a result, the faster boat will not be able to exceed the speed of the slower boat. 

To avoid being captured in this manner when you overtake a slower boat, you must maintain a distance of two or three boat lengths between your beam and that of the slower boat. At that distance, the bow wave decreases in its height, and has little effect on the overtaking boat. 

Many sailors are not aware of the effect of the bow wave. When they overtake a slower boat, and then come alongside it and cannot get ahead of it, they assume that the other skipper has trimmed his sails and found a little extra speed. They don’t realize that the other boat’s bow wave is holding them back. If they can open up some distance between the beams of the two boats, they will reduce the effect of the bow wave, regain their superior speed and once again start to draw ahead of the other boat.

Remember, too, that if your boat can be impeded by a bow wave, then you can use your bow wave as an offensive weapon, to impede a competitor. If a competitor is overtaking you from astern, sidle over towards him very gradually and unobtrusively, so that he passes closer abeam of you, and doesn’t realize what you are doing. When he draws alongside you and is captured by your bow wave, and can make no further progress, he will think it is because you trimmed your sails and found a little extra speed.