Can we finally start racing?

So, there have been a few requests for some diagrams. But clearly those are coming from people who really have no respect for the limited nature of my conputer skillz. For those of you who don't use blogger, i create this blog by typing into a blank white box and then it magicall appears - and even that really pushes me to the limit. There is some good animated stuff on the official America's Cup site, which you might find helpful. But now it's time to go over what happens during a sailboat race, specifically the America's Cup.

The most critical rules of racing are those that determine who gets right of way. Whenever 2 boats are near each other, one of the boats always has total precedence, and the other one must remain completely clear. Determining who has right of way is relatively easy; a boat on starboard tack always has RoW over a boat on port tack, and for 2 boats on the same tack, the leeward boat (ie further from the wind) has RoW. There are some exceptions and clarifications to this (for instance, all boats are entitled to "room at the mark" under some circumstances), but keeping just these 2 rules in mind will let you follow the racing on TV. Let's look at an example of each of the 2 RoW rules affects a specific situation.

The classic case of the starboard-port rule is an upwind crossing. In this situation, 2 boats on a beat, one on part tack and one on starboard, are heading towards a collision. The starboard tack boat has complete right of way here and the boat on port tack must make clear. If the boat on port tack can not cross clearly in front, she has 2 basic choices; either "duck" the boat on starboard tack (ie change course to cross behind), or tack to starboard. If choosing the latter, the boat on port tack must take care not too tack too close to the boat on starboard tack; this will also earn a penalty.

An application of the windward-leeward rule comes into play when 2 boats are both running under spinaker, on the same tack. The leeward boat has RoW, and can force the windward boat to "keep it up", pushing her closer to the wind, even if it is away from the optimum course to mark. Then, the leeward boat can suddenly either fall off the wind (towards the mark) or gybe to the other tack, both of which should result in a small advantage. There is a limit to how far the leeward can push the windward boat, but the rule is quite subjective and it is seldom called.

The only part of the race that we haven't really discussed is the pre-start. In the America's Cup, the 2 boats in each race can enter the starting box 5 minutes before the start. This period is critical, as both boats will battle to gain an advantageous position at the starting gun; both of the RoW rules are fully in effect here. The 3 primary goals of the pre-start are to reach the starting line 1) right at the start, 2) at full speed, and 3) on the correct tack and favored end of the line. The pre-start is usually very exciting - boats will attempt to dial up their opponents into irons, and circle each other, both trying to have the best start possible as well as cause a penalty on their opponent.

So that's a decent overview of the AC racing. The real show starts on April 16 and runs through early July.