Over the weekend of April 13-14, Encinal Yacht Club hosted an exciting 2v2 team racing event featuring the nimble RS21 boats from San Francisco Yacht Club. These boats are known for their impressive acceleration, making for thrills, high-speed action and near misses. Our team, the "Wave Rider Alliance," comprised of Tahoe and Bay Area sailors, and had an absolute blast at the event, as we went into Sunday with a three-way tie for 2nd.
Although I have taken part in several match racing events in Long Beach and here locally, I found team racing to be a much more intricate and captivating experience compared to fleet racing or match racing.
One of the key distinctions between fleet racing, match racing, and team racing is the absence of Rule 17. In match racing and team racing, you have the freedom to aggressively luff up your opponents without the usual restrictions. If the windward boat fails to respond appropriately, they will incur a penalty and be required to perform a penalty turn. In match racing, you can strategically choose when to complete your penalty turn, aiming to offset any penalties you have accrued. In the event of a second penalty in match racing, the sailor must promptly perform a penalty turn, closely monitored by the umpires.
In team racing, the penalty system operates in a similar manner, with the first penalty being executed immediately. Understanding the rules and tactics in team racing is paramount, as effective teamwork and strategic decisions will significantly influence the team's overall performance.
In match racing, the outcome of the game is often determined at the start, making it challenging to recover if you fall behind early. Both match and team racing can often lead to a tacking duel initiated by the trailing boat towards the windward mark, a strategy that is less effective in fleet racing.
Team racing offers a dynamic where you are never truly out of the race. During a memorable race against St. Francis Yacht Club, our team faced a tough start with both our boat and our teammate in a disadvantaged position or bad start by a few boat lengths. To turn the situation around, we deliberately led the two opposing boats away from the first mark, creating an opportunity for our teammate to advance to first or second place position. In spite of my boat and my teammate boat having to do a spin for penalties we managed to pull off an amazing win complete with attacking a boat on starboard right at the end and pinching our way to the finish line to keep a boat out of the lay line.
In a 2v2 team racing scenario, it's crucial to ensure that your team does not fall into the fourth place position. If your teammate is struggling in fourth place, you can help by slowing down the race and providing support by sitting on the air of the 3rd place boat or trying to attack them on a starboard position. When a team is in a controlling position such as the 1 and 2 spot the strategy is akin to fleet racing. However, even when leading the race, this is a challenging position to hold and there’s a strong chance that the third or fourth-placed boat can disrupt your position during the course and have overlap or inside room at the next mark rounding.
By strategically positioning yourself to "get a piece of" your teammate, you can set up traps at marks to gain a tactical advantage. This level of teamwork and strategic planning adds depth and excitement to team racing, making every race a dynamic and engaging experience as you are creating a position for your teammate to slip by and into a 1st place position and hopefully a controlling position.
I had the privilege of having Chris Weis on my boat, a skilled match racer ranked around 15th in the United States. I've had the pleasure of sailing with Chris before on the Cape 31 M2, as well as Firefly, a local competitive Moore 24 owned by Joel Turmel.
For those who enjoy intense sailing with boats racing mere inches apart and the occasional friendly touch, I highly recommend getting involved and learning the ropes, even if it's just on paper and YouTube for now.
David here, encouraging you to participate in races frequently, sail with different sailors in various roles, and explore different platforms to enhance your skills and experiences on the water.
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