SPEED&smarts

David Dellenbaugh’s
™

The newsletter of how-to tips for racing sailors Nov/Dec 2016

ISSUE #140
LESSONS FROM RIO
THEME Learning at the Olympics .......1
TACTICS & STRATEGY ...........................2
CURRENT .............................................6
RULES & PROTESTS.............................10
WIND EFFECTS....................................14
I was very fortunate to be a part
of the US Sailing Team for the last
two Olympic Games. In 2012 I
coached our women’s match racing
team. In Rio I was the team rules
advisor, and I also developed the
wind/current playbooks we used
for each course area. This gave me
a lot of time to watch the sailors
racing in Rio and to study the wind
and water behavior.
Rio is a great place to sail! The
backdrops on the race courses are
stunning, and the sailors have the
chance to compete in a wide range
O
Learning from the Olympics
ne of my guiding mantras in sailing is that it’s always a good
idea to focus on learning. It is impossible to win every race,
but it’s not hard to learn something every time you go racing. I
call this the ‘no-lose approach’ because learning makes you feel
good, and it improves your chances of success in future races.
For this reason I occasionally devote an entire issue of Speed
& Smarts to lessons learned at specific regattas. After spending a
lot of time in Rio last summer, I decided to write this issue about
the 2016 Olympics. That was a great opportunity to learn about a
wide range of racing topics, for several reasons:
1) The world’s top sailors are at the Olympics. The best way
to learn is by watching how the best sailors do it. Yes, they make
occasional mistakes, but we learn from those too.
2) There is a wide range of one-design boats at the Olympics,
from the slow Radial to the fast Nacra 17 cat. It’s very informative
to watch how speed and performance affect tactics and strategy.
3) Rio has lots of current! We all need to know more about
what happens when the water is moving.
4) Rio has many significant geographic features. There are
islands, bays and mountains rising out of the sea near the race
courses. A perfect lab for learning how these affect the wind.
5) There were many protests during the Olympics. These
offer a chance to learn about the rules and, especially, about the
procedures for protests, redress and reopening hearings.
The Olympics – a great educational opportunity! Turn the
page for a detailed look at my take on all these subjects and how
they relate to racing fast and smart around the course.
US Sailing Team Sperry/Will Ricketson

of conditions – from the flat water,

shifty wind and swirling current of
the courses inside the bay, to the
big breeze and even bigger waves
of the ocean courses. I know every-
one who sailed there learned a lot,
and that’s what this issue is about.

Speed & Smarts #140 www.SpeedandSmarts.com 1

‘Closed’ or ‘Open’ course?
LESSONS FROM RIO: Tactics and Strategy Starting in fair

I W
or foul current
n Rio the current was often quite strong and there were some hen the direction of the current
significant geographic features near most of the race courses. As a is lined up with the direction
result, the beats (and runs) were often ‘one-way’ affairs (see below) of the wind, as is usually the case in
where one side of the course was much better than the other. When Rio, sailors face some particularly
sailors were racing on a one-way (or ‘closed’) course, they had to sail challenging conditions on the start-
toward the favored side or they’d end up in the back of the fleet. ing line. It’s hard enough to get a
But not all Rio race courses were so one-sided. There were also good start when the water is not
a lot of beats (and runs) where, for example, the current favored moving anywhere. But when the
one side and a geographic feature favored the other. In these races current is pushing you directly over
the leading boats often came from both sides, so we called these or below the starting line, it’s tough
‘two-way’ (or ‘open’) courses. On a two-way course, the difference to get your timing and position right
between left and right is relatively small, so either side might work. as you approach the line.
From a strategic point of view, one question is always worth With current, it’s even more
asking during a race: Is the race course ‘open’ (you can consider critical to have an accurate line sight
going left or right) or ‘closed’ (you must go to a favored side)? and to make some pre-start practice
Your answer to this question will be key in planning your strategy. runs. The start is a critical part of
At any moment in a race you have only two basic choices: 1) keep any race so you need to work hard to
going straight; or 2) tack (or jibe). If the course is ‘closed,’ then your make sure you won’t be early or late.
decision is made for you; if it’s ‘open’ you can choose either option Check out the next page for more
based on what you see at any particular moment. Here are some ideas on how to do this.
factors that could influence your decision:
‘Closed’ Course – Many things could make one side of a beat
or run much more favored than the other. These include: different
wind velocity across the course, a geographic wind shift, a persistent
shift in wind direction, variations in current, and so on. Each of these
Flood

would make you want to sail aggressively toward the favored side.
020°

‘Open’ Course – Neither side may be strongly favored when:

the wind direction is oscillating, strategic variables are even/steady
across the course, the wind is unsteady or random, etc. In these
situations, boats may be able to win a leg from the left side, the right Current
side or the middle. They key is remaining flexible to take advantage
of what you see developing as the race goes on.
200°
Ebb

Wind
a
are

range
210° 180°
e
urs
Co

One thing about racing in Rio is that the

Here’s a diagram showing the tracks of the top three men’s 470s on the
first beat of their fourth race at the 2015 Rio Test Event. All the leaders
came from deep in the right corner. It’s clear that this was a ‘closed’ or
‘one-way’ beat – the top boats had to go hard right to avoid the strong
adverse flood current on the left side of this course in Guanabara Bay.
wind usually lines up with the current.
The current flows north into Guanabara
Bay (flooding) or south out of the bay
(ebbing), while the wind in the bay blows
from the south to southwest more than
90% of the time. As a result, the current
is almost always flowing directly with or
against the wind. This presents certain
strategic challenges during the start of
any race (and throughout that race),
especially when the current is strong.

2 Lessons from Rio

Don’t get stuck to windward of the
starting line when you are getting
close to the start sequence. Do
your training runs early, and
make sure you are back at
the line with plenty of NO!
time to spare.
B
Wind When you are sailing around before
the start, change your direction by
jibing instead of tacking. Tacking will
often take you too far to windward
of the line, especially in lighter air.
FAIR
If your boat doesn’t tack well
(e.g. skiff, cat, board) and you
like the right side, this is an OK
time to start on port tack behind
the fleet because the current will
quickly open up space between
their sterns and the RC boat.
OK

CURRENT NO

Barging!
A
NO!
Layl

If you like the left side

La
ine

ylin

Layl
of the course (or the pin
with

ew
YES YES

ine
OK
ith
end is farther upwind),
ou
curr

in
it’s OK to start near this
tc

curr
ur
ent

ren
end because the current

ent
will help you fetch the t
pin without pinching.
Do not make your final approach
With current pushing you over the line, you must know exactly where the anywhere near the ‘barging’ area to
line is and how long it takes you to get there. Get two line sights – one leeward of and outside the RC boat.
right along the line (A) and another from a ways below it (B). Do some With current setting the fleet to
timed runs before the start to find out how long it takes you to get windward, there will be a mess here!
from A to B. Then use this info to help plan your approach to the line.

CURRENT
Wind When you are sailing around before
the start, change your direction by
Tacking instead of jibing. Jibing will
often put you too far to leeward of
the line, especially in lighter air when
FOUL there’s a high risk of being late.
I never recommend starting close to
either end, but adverse current gives
you a less risky chance to start near
the RC boat. That’s because current
pushes the fleet to leeward as they
luff before the start, so there’s
often a hole near the RC boat.

YES
Laylin
e wit
h cur
rent
La
ylin Laylin
ew e wit
h cur
ith rent
ou La
tc ylin
Do not make your final approach
ur
NO! YES!
anywhere near the pin end, especially ren NO ew
t ith
if that end is a boat with an anchor ou
tc
ur
line. With current setting the fleet OK
ren
t
to leeward, there will be a mess of
boats here trying to make the pin.
NO!
NO!

Don’t get too far to leeward of the starting

line when your starting sequence is close, or
you could end up not making the line in time,
especially in light air. In adverse current, a
good rule of thumb is never to go more than
a few boatlengths below the line.
You need a good line sight whenever there’s current, and you must
also be able to see this sight as you approach the line. In adverse
current, set up a little earlier on starboard tack and keep your bow
poked just ahead of the boats that are luffing around you (so you
can see the pin end and land beyond it). If you’re behind the front
row of boats you will never see your line sight and you’ll be in bad
air, so there is a high risk of being late for the start.

Speed & Smarts #140 3

LESSONS FROM RIO: Tactics and Strategy

S
Playing a side: Get there first or ‘sit on top’?
imply knowing which way to go on a beat (or run) the opposite side of the course. This delay in getting
is often not enough to make a good strategic plan. to the favored side could be significant.
You also need to figure out the best way to sail toward Strength of preference – Do you favor the left
that side. Will you position yourself on the leeward or right side by a little or a lot? This greatly affects
side of the fleet so you get to the favored side first? your decision about how critical it is to get there.
Or will you be toward the windward side of the fleet Confidence in your strategy – Are you 95% sure
and ‘sit on top’ as you sail toward the favored side? the left/right side is better, or just 65%? This will have
Each has its pluses and minuses. Being on the a big impact on much you commit to a particular side.
leeward side of the fleet gets you to the favored side Length of first beat – Is the beat long enough so
sooner, but it’s more risky because you may never be boats to leeward of the fleet will eventually be able to
able to cross the boats on your windward hip. Sitting tack and cross boats to windward? The shorter the
on top gives you more options, but the delay in getting beat, the more likely it will pay to ‘sit on top.’
to the favored side could be costly. Level of risk – How much risk are you willing to
The best plan depends on a number of things that take in the race or series? It’s relatively risky to lead
are different for every windward (or leeward) leg. The the fleet toward a side, and more conservative to sit
key question is this: When you get to the favored side, on top of the fleet because you have more options.
would you rather be to leeward or to windward of the There is more than one way to get
fleet? This depends a lot on the existing wind patterns to the favored side, so think
and to a certain extent on how much you lose while about all these things
tacking (see next page for a discussion of both). when making a
Here are some other factors you should consider: strategic W
Bias of starting line – If either end is upwind by plan.
more than 5°, this could override any other factors
about where to position yourself early in the race.
Length of the starting line – The longer
the starting line, the more time it will
take for boats at either end to reach
‘Sit on top’ – Boat W
is heading for the left
side of the course but
‘Get there first’ – Boat she is to windward of
L is to leeward of the The examples on this page the fleet. She will get
fleet and leading them and the next show boats on to the left side later
to the left. She will be starboard tack heading toward than the others, but
the first boat to benefit L the favored left side, but the she will benefit from a
from any advantage of same principles apply to boats right shift or pressure
being on the left side. on port tack heading right. that comes from above.

These Lasers have just started

a race in the ocean off Rio with Sugarloaf
Sugarloaf Mountain in the back-
ground. The Korean boat (L) is L
to leeward of the fleet, leading
them to the left. Boat W is also
heading to the left but she is
to windward of the fleet. W
Assuming the left side of
this beat is favored, which boat
will get to the windward mark
sooner? If L gets enough of an
advantage on the left that she
can tack and cross the boats on
her windward hip, then it was
better to get left first. But if
W can hang to windward and
ahead of the fleet all the way
to the left side, it was better to
‘sit on top’ of the fleet while
sailing to the left.
US Sailing Team Sperry/Onne van der Wal

4 Lessons from Rio

Consider the wind pattern
In the three situations diagrammed on this page, the left
side of this first beat is ‘favored’ because it has more wind 1
velocity or an advantageous wind shift. If you were plan-
ning a strategy for the start of a race in each condition,
would you: A) start to leeward of the fleet (on starboard Wind
tack) so you can get to the left side first; or B) start to
windward of the fleet so you can ‘sit on top’ as boats
sail toward the left side?
This obviously depends on a number of factors
(see page 4). The most important is usually the pattern
of wind pressure and wind direction across your racing
‘Get there first’ – The wind direction
area. Where is the best velocity? Which way will the wind
keeps shifting left as you get farther to
shift? And how can you position yourself to be strongest
the left side. This pattern is typical with a

as the fleet sails toward the favored side of the course?

geographic or persistent shift. The best

The answer is not always ‘just head for the better side.’
strategy is to sail toward the left side as

As you can see in these examples, there are times when it

early as possible – usually the boats that
get there first will be leading the race.
is better to get there asap, and other times when it’s not.
The key is gathering enough information (both before and
during racing) to help you make the right decision on this.

Can you tack and cross? 2

Wind
The decision about whether to ‘sit on top’ or ‘get
there first’ often depends on your tacking ability.
How much distance will your boat lose in a tack
in the existing conditions? This determines how
far advanced must you be in order to tack and
cross boats on your windward hip.
A boat that tacks well (e.g. a 470 in light air) ‘Sit on top’ – As you go farther left, the
might lose less than one length in a tack. But a boat wind is stronger and its direction is shifting
that loses a lot while tacking (e.g. a skiff in heavy air) progressively to the right. This pattern is
might lose four lengths or more in a tack! The more often the result of a geographic influence.
you lose in a tack, the more difficult it will be to cross In this scenario you need to go left for
the fleet if you are sailing on their leeward side. better pressure but you want to be to
windward of the fleet going left so you
can also take advantage of the shift.
E 2

Boat X must be at least

D one length ahead of Y

C
before she tacks, or
she has no chance to
3
Wind
Wind
cross in front of Y.
B
‘Ladder rung’
A X Y
t
Can the Red boat (X) tack and cross ahead of the Grey boat
(Y)? If X is on the same ladder rung as Y (position A), they are
even in the race. Even if X tacks and loses zero distance in the
process, she will be bow-to-bow with Y. If X starts at position B (one
‘Sit on top’ – There is more velocity as
length ahead of Y) and she tacks without losing any distance, her stern
you go farther left, and also more wind as
will be at Y’s bow (position 2). If X loses one length in a tack (e.g. a
you sail farther to windward. So the best
Laser in light air), she must be at least two lengths ahead of Y (position
strategy is to be on the windward side of
C) before she can tack and have a chance to cross. If X loses two
the fleet going left so you have more wind
lengths in a tack (a 470 in breeze), she must be at least three lengths
than the boats going right and more than
ahead of Y (position D) or else she won’t be able to tack and cross. If
the boats to leeward of you going left.
X loses three lengths in a tack (a skiff in moderate air), she must be at
least four lengths ahead of Y (position E) before she can tack and cross.

Speed & Smarts #140 5

Current varies,
RIO LESSONS: Current

like the wind

E very morning in Rio our sailors
competing in the Olympics got
two forecasts: one for the wind and
another for the current. The wind
forecast was a prediction of wind
strength and direction throughout
the day – this kind of information
is important for any venue.
The current forecast included
predictions about the strength and
direction of water flow across each
course area every 15 minutes. This
information was critical for a place
like Rio where the current is strong The mouth of Guanabara Bay looking west from the shipping channel
and greatly affected by geography.
toward Sugarloaf Mountain. As you can see from the water flowing past
The biggest factor in every
this buoy (located at point B on the chart below), current can be a major
current forecast, of course, is the
strategic factor when racing in Rio. Everyone who sailed there learned a
gravitational pull of the moon and
lot about how to predict and race in variable, and often strong, current.

sun. Current runs strongest when
the sun, moon and earth are in line
(when there is a new or full moon).
The current is weakest when the
sun, moon and earth form a right
angle (during a quarter moon).
A sample daily current forecast for Guanabara Bay. We had charts like this
for every 15 minutes during race days, viewable by swiping on an iPad. The
colors (and arrow lengths) represent current speed. The scale is boatlengths
However, the current is not a
product of gravitational pull alone.
After getting dozens of Rio current
forecasts and checking them on the
race courses each day, it was clear
that other factors can also have a
large impact on water flow:
Rainfall – When it rained a lot
in the Rio area, the rivers that feed
into Guanabara Bay filled up and
brought more water into the bay’s
northern end. The result was more
trash, a stronger ebb flow out of
the bay and a weaker flood into the
bay, though it sometimes took 24
to 48 hours to see these effects.
Wind – The current strength
was also affected by wind velocity.
The stronger the breeze and the
longer it blew, the more it pushed
the water along with it. We saw
days when a sustained 20-knot
wind completely stopped the water
flowing out of the bay.
Ocean storms – The presence
of storm systems in the ocean off
Rio could also had a significant
impact on current. These systems
typically brought a surge in the
water height that strengthened the
flood current and weakened the
ebb. Often these effects appeared
as much as a day before the storm
hit Rio and lasted a couple days.
Many sailors think current is
always constant and predictable
because it is a caused by the posi-
tions of the sun and moon. But we
re-learned in Rio that the current

is affected by many other factors

per minute, using a boatlength of 4.5 meters which is average for Olympic

and can be variable like the wind.

boats. Most sailors find it easier to use boatlengths per minute while racing
rather than knots or some other measure of current velocity.

6 Lessons from Rio

Set your practice schedule

T
based on the moon phase
he best way to get accurate, detailed info
about current in a place where you will be
racing is to practice at that venue before your
regatta. However, you have to be smart with
your training schedule. If you randomly show
up at the regatta site, you may never see the
same current patterns that you will see during
the regatta. You have to pick days for training
when the current will be just like the regatta –
this is what the Olympic teams did in Rio.
Since the time and height of tides is directly
related to the position of the moon, base your
training plan on the moon phase. For example,
if your regatta will take place on a day when the
moon is full, practice on days when you have
a full moon. If your regatta will take place on
These were the phases of the moon as seen in the Southern
days 4 and 5 after a new moon, practice on the
Hemisphere during the Olympics in August 2016. The phases
same days after a new moon (this also works if
seen in the Northern Hemisphere were exactly the same –
you substitute new moon for full, or vice versa).
except the visible part of the moon was on the opposite side.

Training on days with the same moon

The rise and fall of the tides was greatest around the time

phase is key for two reasons. First, the heights

of high and low tide will be very similar, which
means you will be training and racing in the
same current velocity. Second, and more im-
portantly, the times of high and low tides will
be very close to the same. This is especially key
because it means you can train in the same ebb,
flood and slack water that you will see while
racing. (See the tide charts below for a great
of the new moon (August 2) and the full moon (August 18).
These ‘spring tides’ produced the strongest current in Rio
(and everywhere else in the world) on those dates.
The rise and fall of the tides was least around the time
of the ‘first quarter’ moon (August 11) and the ‘last quarter’
moon (August 25). These ‘neap tides’ produced the weakest
current in Rio (and everywhere else) on those dates.
The Olympic sailing regatta ran from August 8 to August 18.
The current on the first day was weak to moderate, and it got
weaker each of the first four days. On the fifth day (August 12)

example of how this works.)

the current started getting slightly stronger, and it was at full
speed by the last day of the event.

RIO Tides – August 2006 RIO Tides – August 2016

Time Height (m) Time Height (m)
High High
Wednesday, August 23, 2006 Low Tuesday, August 2, 2016 Low
New moon High New moon High
Low Low

New moon +1 day New moon +1 day

New moon +2 days New moon +2 days

New moon +3 days New moon +3 days

New moon +4 days New moon +4 days

If you compare tide charts from the same moon cycle days in any two months or years, you will see that they compare
very closely. Here, for example, are the times and heights of high and low tides in Rio for similar days in August 2006 and
2016. Compare August 25, 2006 with August 4, 2016 (green boxes), both of which are two days after the new moon.
As you can see, the tide times and heights are very, very similar. No matter the month or year, every day that is two days
after a new moon will have similar times and heights. This is very valuable to know when you organize a training schedule.

Speed & Smarts #140 7

LESSONS FROM RIO: Current

W
How important is current?
hen you’re racing in current, this is almost
always a factor at the starting line and while you
are rounding marks. But how important is it from a
strategic point of view? The challenge in Rio, and any
other venue where you race in current, is to base your
strategic planning on an accurate assessment of how
current will affect the race. At the Olympics we had very
good data about current in Guanabara Bay, but this did
not mean we always followed it. There were many races
where it was much more important to play the wind, for
example. Here’s a discussion of some factors that could
affect the relative importance of current.

WIND ‘Fast’ boats vs. ‘Slow’ boats – The current is more

important strategically for boats that are going slowly than
for boats that are going fast. When a boat is traveling slowly
Skiff
through the water (i.e. when the current velocity is a greater
Current percentage of her boatspeed), she will spend more time
sailing in whatever current she has. That makes it more
important for her to be in better current.
There are two primary reasons why a boat may be going
fast or slow. The first is wind velocity. In light air boats travel
Current slowly, so current is usually a critical strategic factor. In heavy
air, however, boats go much faster, which means current has
Laser
a relatively smaller effect on their performance. The lighter
the wind, the more likely it is that current will matter.
The second reason why boats may travel at different
Sl speeds is because they are different types of boats. At the
ow Olympics there were a bunch of ‘fast’ boats including the
Fa bo skiffs, cats and boards. There were also some ‘slow’ boats
st at
bo including the Laser, Radial and Finn. The strategic value of
at current was different depending on boat type.
The skiffs, for example, were very quick and therefore
didn’t care so much about current. The Lasers, on the other
Boats going fast don’t hand, were much slower and therefore looked for even the
care as much about
current because they
slightest differences in current across the course. On certain
spend less time being Rio race courses, it was not uncommon for one side to be
affected by it. favored if you were racing a fast boat and the other side
to be favored in slow boats, for precisely this reason.

Upwind vs. Downwind – The value of sailing in current also varies by wind angle.
As a strategic factor, current is generally more critical upwind than downwind. That’s
because when you are in better current on a beat, you also usually have more wind
velocity (because the better current creates additional pressure). In other words,
you get a double benefit by finding better current when sailing upwind.
Slow b

Fa
st The same is not true downwind. When sailing in ‘better’ current on
bo
at a run, you actually have less wind velocity (because the current detracts

Laser
from the wind pressure). So your choice is: 1) better current with
oat

less wind, or 2) worse current with more wind. This makes the
decision less critical – even if you don’t find the best current
WIND you will at least have a little more wind.
This extra wind velocity is especially helpful for
fast boats, which generally benefit more from
Current small increases in pressure. That’s why in Rio
WIND
the faster boats (skiffs, cats, boards) spent
Skiff
On a run, worse
current at least gives less time worrying about current on runs
Current you better wind and more time looking for pressure.

8 Lessons from Rio

 Wind or Current?
Which strategic factor will be more critical in
your next race or leg – wind or current?
WIND Weigh the value of each, and don’t
place undue strategic empha- WIND
sis on a variable that has
only a small chance
of affecting Light and steady
Strong and shifty your race.

Current
Current

‘Wind Race’ – The wind should be your strategic focus
when it is strong and/or variable compared to current.
In these conditions there is a lot more to gain (or lose)
by playing the wind correctly (or incorrectly).
It’s likely to be a ‘wind race’ when: the current is weak;
the current is even across the course (so there is not
much to gain on either side); the wind is strong (so the
boats go fast relative to the current); or the wind is shifty
and puffy (which means gains or losses due to the wind
could be quite large).
‘Current Race’ – The current should be your strategic
focus when it is relatively strong and more variable than
the wind. In this condition there is a lot to gain (or lose)
by playing the current correctly (or incorrectly).
It’s likely to be a ‘current race’ when: the wind is light
(and the current has a correspondingly large influence);
the wind direction and velocity are fairly even across the
course (so there’s not much to gain on either side); the
current is strong; or the current is variable across the
course (so there are gains and losses to be made).

Where you’ll find more current Where the current changes first
ws
Guanabara Bay rro Guanabara Bay b
Na Flood Eb

E Beginning ebb
Point
D

Shippin
channe

RIO C RIO
Point
g
l

B Shallow
Point Deep
Shallow
Narrows

A Flood

Current strength is largely a function of geography. It
runs strongest where the water is deepest (i.e. where there
is least friction with the bottom), but it also accelerates at
other points where the flow is constricted. These include
places where the water must pass: 1) through a narrow gate
such as the entrance to Guanabara Bay (A) or the mouth
of a river (E); as the water flow compresses into a smaller
area it also speeds up; and 2) around points that stick out
into the water flow (B,C,D). At these places the water flow
speeds up as it compresses around the points.
Current changes In Rio the current runs strongest in the
deep shipping channel that goes up the middle of the bay.
Once the current is running at 2+ knots, it takes a long time
to slow. As the end of the tide cycle gets closer, the water
must eventually start flowing the other way. This begins in
the shallow water at the edges of the bay where there is
much less resistance from the dying flood. In Rio, as in
many other venues, you frequently see new flow gaining
strength at the edges of the bay while the old flow is still
quite strong going the other way in the middle.

Speed & Smarts #140 9

LESSONS FROM RIO: Protests you get it, you are allowed reason-
able time to prepare your defense.

O
Don’t overlook protest hearings
lympic sailors spend a lot of
time training to sail faster, get
better starts and improve their
boathandling skills, but few spend
as much effort learning about rules
and protest procedures. That’s a bit
surprising because rules often play
a big role in high-level events –
when there’s a lot at stake, sailors
seem more willing to protest even
the smallest infractions.
In the 2016 Olympic regatta,
for example, there were 109 protest
hearings spread across ten classes.
That’s an average of 11 protests per
class! There were sailors who won
medals because they played by the
rules on the water and/or did a
good job in protests ashore. And
there were other sailors who lost
medals because they took risks on
the race course or did a bad job in
protest hearings.
Is the protest valid? – If you
are filing a protest, make sure you
As rules advisor for the U.S. meet all the requirements for it to
team, I spent a lot of time hanging be valid. If you are being protested,
around the jury room after racing. look over the other party’s form to
Here are some of my take-aways: see if they met the requirements.
Look for evidence – ‘Evidence’ A written protest, for example,
is the key to proving your case in a must identify ‘where and when the
hearing. It could be testimony from incident occurred’ (rule 61.2c). In
your crew or a person on another Rio, two protests were found to be
boat who saw the incident. It may invalid because they had the wrong
be video or a tracker replay of your race number (the protestor listed
situation. You can present all of the race number for that day in-
these things at the hearing. Look stead of the overall regatta)!
for this evidence before your hear- Check the notice board –
ing; if it was available before the The official notice board is the
hearing but you didn’t get it, you ‘bible’ for any information you
can’t use that evidence to defend need to know about protests, so
yourself or to reopen the hearing. check it often (even if you don’t
Ask for a copy of the protest – think you’re involved in a protest).
This is a simple step that many At least two Olympic boats were
sailors forget. Before the hearing, disqualified from races because
you have a right to see a copy of the they did not see their names
other party’s written protest, but posted on the notice board and
you must ask the jury for this. Once failed to show up for the hearing.

If you believe that you followed the rules during

Be prepared and precise
It would be great if every protest decision could be
based on what really happened in the race, but that is
not the case. Because a protest committee hears only
the testimony presented by two sailors, it can be diffi-
cult for them to figure out the ‘truth.’ In many cases,
their decision is simply a best guess based on what
each sailor says and does in the hearing.
the incident, therefore, you must convince the jury
that your story is the correct one. This requires care-
ful preparation and accurate presentation (see below).
When you explain the incident with model boats, for
example, be very precise about wind direction, boom
angle, distance between boats and so on. Be confident
about details, time and distance, and show that your
version is clearly consistent with math and science.

1 The moment when USA

2
The moment when USA
helmsperson first saw BRA
helmsperson last saw BRA
through window in mainsail. behind the mainsail leech.

Here are two diagrams that we created to defend a port-starboard protest at the Olympics. These were drawn
on graph paper so we could show precise boat dimensions and spacing. Our sailors used these for guidance during
the protest hearing. We also submitted them to the jury 1) to keep our version of the incident in front of them,
and 2) to show the attention to detail that went into our race and protest defense. We won this protest because
(fortunately) a jury member witnessed the incident and testified that what he saw was similar to the diagram.

10 Lessons from Rio

Notes on reopening

W
1
a protest hearing
hen you disagree with the decision
of a protest committee, you have
two options. You can file an appeal, or
you can request the jury to reopen the
hearing. At the Olympics, or at any
event where there is an international
jury, appeals are not permitted. In that
case your only option is reopening.
According to rule 66 (Reopening
a Hearing), a protest committee may 2
reopen a hearing when ‘it decides that
it may have made a significant error, or
when significant new evidence becomes
available within a reasonable time.’ Any
party to a hearing may ask for a reopen-
ing no later than 24 hours after being
informed of the decision. That’s what
we did in the Finn protest (see below).
Twelve hours after the hearing we
found a video showing the incident. 3
In order to get the hearing reopened
we had to convince the jury see that
this evidence was both ‘substantial’ and
‘new.’ The jury agreed it was substantial
because it could potentially reverse the
decision they had made the day before.
And the video was ‘new’ because it was
not reasonably available to us at the
time of the hearing. Therefore they
agreed to reopen the hearing.
Here are five still shots from a video
4 that shows the start of Finn Race # 6
in 20 knots of wind and 10-foot waves.
The US boat is sailed by Caleb Paine
who crossed the finish line 2nd in this
race. But CRO protested Caleb, claiming
he (CRO) had to bear away hard to miss
hitting the aft quarter of USA.
We guessed there might be video
of this incident, but despite a fairly
thorough search we could not find it
before the hearing early that evening.
With only the two boats’ testimony as
evidence, the jury disqualified Caleb for
not keeping clear of a starboard tacker.
5 Fortunately, a friend happened to
find the video shown here early the next
morning. We immediately brought it to
the jury and requested that they reopen
the hearing, which they agreed to do.
Caleb then presented the video at
the reopened hearing. Based on this
new evidence, the jury changed the
facts to say that Caleb had in fact kept
clear of CRO. The protest was dismissed,
Caleb was reinstated in 2nd place, and
he went on to win a bronze medal!

Speed & Smarts #140 11

LESSONS FROM RIO: Protests

I
Requesting redress
n Finn Race 3, the windward mark was a FINN RACE 3
little hard to find. The first beat was long
Start

and the waves were big, plus there were mul-

Almost all the Finns Finn fleet
on first beat

tiple marks to windward. It turns out that the

sailed to the right of

Laser leeward gate marks had been placed

the rhumbline as they

surprisingly close to the Finn course – this

approached the top
mark. The wind was
and the similar colors (dark orange versus a little right of the
red) confused at least a few sailors.
Synchronized
posted Finn mark
In sailing, a boat may be entitled to some
location
bearing, and some
form of redress if her finish position in a race
Synchronized
thought the Laser Finn windward scale
is made significantly worse, through no fault
Pai
gate mark was their and offset marks Island

of her own, by an improper action of the race

windward mark. (Red)

committee (rule 62.1a). That’s why several

Finn sailors asked for redress in Race 3.
In order to get redress, a sailor has to
demonstrate several things:
1) His finish position in the race was
made ‘significantly worse.’ In other words,
his finish score was made worse by a signifi-
cant amount and this was directly as a result LASER RACE 5
of the race committee’s error; and
2) His finish position was made worse
The Laser fleet was sailing a

‘through no fault of [his] own.’ That is, there

Start
trapezoid course just to the

was nothing the sailor did that contributed

northwest of the Finns. The

to his worse finish score; and

gate marks on their outer

3) There was an ‘improper action’ by

Laser fleet loop were dark orange and

the race committee. In this case, the sailors

on first beat positioned fairly close to the
Finn windward and offset
alleged that it was improper for the RC to
Laser gate marks
marks, which were red.
run a race with a second set of similar marks
(Dark orange)

so close to their windward mark.

Pai

In Race 3, the Finn sailors had to show

Island
Synchronized time
that the RC made an error and that this had
a significant effect on their score. The jury
found that the Finn RC had placed their
windward mark in the correct place, so they
decided not to give redress in this case.

We were lucky that Amory Ross, who was

working on media for the US Sailing Team,
could help us with the presentation of a case
for redress in Finn Race 3. Amory started by
getting the GPS tracker info for both the Finn
and Laser fleets. He took a screen shot of the
Finns when they were getting close to their
windward mark (top), and then took a screen
shot of the Laser fleet (middle) at the same
exact time (13:20:55), using the same scale.
These races were in the ocean off Rio, but
luckily there was a piece of land (Pai Island) Using the synchronized time
and location, the two races Laser marks
in both shots. Amory used this geographic
reference to overlay the two screen shots and courses are laid on top
exactly on top of each other (bottom). The of each other to show the
result was a very accurate picture showing the relative positions of the
Finns and the position of their windward (and Finns, their windward mark Finn marks
offset) mark plus the Laser gate marks. This and the Laser gate marks.
was shown to the jury in the redress hearing.

12 Lessons from Rio

I
Beware of port-starboard situations!
think it is safe to say that there are more protests
involving rule 10 (On Opposite Tacks) than any P S
other rule in the rulebook. At the 2016 Olympics, for CASE 50
example, at least 28 protest hearings involved a port-
starboard situation. And the port-tack boat was dis- World Sailing
qualified in about 75% of those! Not very good odds
for the boat trying to cross ahead. “When a protest committee finds that in
Even at a high-level event like the Olympics, many a port-starboard incident S did not change
sailors do not have a sound plan for managing port- course and that there was not a genuine
starboard situations on the race course. Before any and reasonable apprehension of collision
major event, every sailor should think about their on the part of S, it should dismiss her
port-tack philosophy. In other words, when will they protest. When the committee finds that
go for the ‘cross’? Here are some things to consider:
• How likely is the other boat to protest? This
S did change course and that there was
depends on the crew’s personality, their history of reasonable doubt that P could have crossed
protesting, the culture of the class in which you are ahead of S if S had not changed course,
racing and the level of the event. The bigger the event, then P should be disqualified.”
the more rule 10 protests you tend to see.
• The wind and wave conditions. As the wind
velocity and wave height go up, starboard tackers
Before you decide to make a close cross in front of
become increasingly apprehensive about boats cross-
a starboard tacker, read this appeal! The rules do
ing close ahead, and they are more likely to protest.
not place any specific onus on a port-tack boat, but
• How much risk are you willing to take? At
World Sailing Case 50 says she will be disqualified if:
any point in a race or series, you should have a good
1) the starboard-tacker changed course; and
idea about the level of risk you are willing to assume.
2) there was reasonable doubt that P could have
More often than not, making a close cross on port tack
crossed ahead if S had not changed course.
is a risky move, so don’t do it unless you’re willing to
In almost all starboard-port protest hearings, the
accept penalty turns or a possible DSQ.
starboard tacker says two things: 1) she had to bear
• How badly do you need to cross ahead on
off to avoid hitting P; and 2) if she hadn’t borne off
port? There are occasional times when crossing a
she was worried that she would hit P. In other words,
starboard tacker can make a huge difference in your
S almost always says the two things that Case 50 lists

race or series, but most of the time it doesn’t matter

as conditions for disqualifying P. In the absence of

so much. Don’t make the mental mistake of going for

other strong evidence, a jury that hears this kind of

a risky cross that is not essential to your race.

testimony will almost always penalize P.

US Sailing Team Sperry/Daniel Forster

Speed & Smarts #140 13

LESSONS FROM RIO: Geographic wind effects

T
When beating toward an

How land affects the wind object that casts a large

he race courses in Rio are surrounded by islands

wind shadow, the best

and mountains that pop up out of the water and

strategy often depends on
the location of the mark.
create a spectacular backdrop for racing. It’s a land-
scape that provides a perfect laboratory for studying
Windward

the effect of land on wind. Nowhere else have I seen

mark

the velocity and direction of the wind vary so much

across a small area due to geographical effects. Here
Wind

are some of the local effects that sailors had to deal

shadow

with during the Olympics.

D
IN
Wind

W
shadow Wind shadows – Hills, mountains, islands and
buildings block the wind, of course, and leave shadows
Wind of lighter air in their lee. Wind shadows usually extend
shadow directly to leeward of an object, so they move whenever
the wind direction shifts. The higher and wider the
object, the longer and more severe its wind shadow.
Pai Island (shown here) is 100 meters high and about
a kilometer across, so it creates a substantial wind block.
The severity of a wind shadow is also related to wind
velocity – the lighter the wind the longer it takes for air
flow to re-establish on the back side of the object, so
wind shadows are more severe.
Wind shadows extend to
leeward of objects, so their
The best strategy, of course, is to stay in areas of best
location changes when the WIND pressure and avoid, or minimize your time in, sailing in
wind direction shifts. wind shadows. That is not always so easy to do when
marks are positioned near shore.

‘Co
Co (m on

mp
Tra

mp ore e (P

res
ns

Wind
sio
itio

res wi
W (les

shadow n’
in d s w

nz

sio nd) fy)

na
sh ind
ad )

rea
ow

uf

‘Co
mp D
res IN
s ion W
’ IN
D
W Sugarloaf Mountain
1,400 ft

Compression effects – When there is a wind shadow,
look for a corresponding area of more pressure on either
side (or both sides) of the lighter air. The wind that was
blocked by the island (or any other object) has to go
somewhere, and much of it goes around (or over) the
object. As the wind on the windward side of the island
bends to go around the side, it meets up with wind that
was already flowing there. The result is an area of com-
pressed air flow with increased velocity. You may see this
on both sides of the island and extending to leeward.
Identify the transition zone – Strategically, it’s usually
good to sail in the area of compression where there’s
more wind, and it’s bad to sail in a wind shadow where
there is less wind. In between these areas is a ‘transition
zone’ where the wind goes from lighter to stronger. This
zone is characterized by puffs and shifts. Once you see
the wind becoming inconsistent, you are on the border
between compression and wind shadow; in this case it
usually pays to sail away from the wind shadow until
you get into more solid pressure.

14 Lessons from Rio

 Here’s a typical Rio race
course set near steep
islands and mountains.
The breeze is fairly steady
for any boats, like these
Radials, that are on the
windward side of this
island. But on the leeward
side sailors have to deal
with a big wind shadow
that has light and shifty
wind. When boats are
abeam of the island they
are likely to find even
more wind because the
breeze compresses as it
flows around the sides.
The taller and steeper the
island (or mountain), the
more significant are these
geographic effects.
© Sailing Energy/World Sailing

Friction effects – When the wind blows across the

surface of the earth, it encounters surface drag, or Wind over land Wind over water
friction, with the land and water. This makes the wind

n
Nor
(at lower heights) flow a little slower and changes its

ther
direction. In the Southern Hemisphere, surface drag

ther
Sou
makes the wind veer (i.e. turn to the right). In the

n
Northern Hemisphere, the opposite is true: friction
makes the wind back (i.e. shift left).
The rough surface of the land (trees, etc.) usually
creates a lot more drag than the relatively smooth
Nort

n
surface of the water. The greater the friction, the more
ther
hern

effect it has on wind direction. The wind, therefore,

Sou

Wind over land Wind over water

tends to bend more over land than it does over water.
This is important to sailors whenever they are racing
near land (see below).

Convergence – When the wind is blowing along Northern Hemisphere

a shoreline, you may find an area of convergence
with more wind pressure close to shore. This occurs
when the surface drag of the land area causes the
Area of convergence

wind to shift and blow toward the nearby body of

(more wind)

water. This wind blowing off the land converges

with the wind over the water and creates more
wind where the two breezes meet. You’ll find this
in the Northern Hemisphere when you are facing
the wind and the land is to your left. It occurs in
the Southern Hemisphere when you are facing the
wind and the land is to your right.

Divergence – At other times when the wind is Southern Hemisphere

blowing along a shoreline, you may find an area
of divergence with less wind pressure near shore.
This occurs when the surface drag of the land area
Area of divergence

causes the wind to shift away from the nearby body

(less wind)

of water. This wind blowing over the land diverges

from the wind over the water and leaves an area
with less wind between the two breezes. You’ll
find this in the Northern Hemisphere when you
are facing the wind and the land is to your right.
It occurs in the Southern Hemisphere when you
are facing the wind and the land is to your left.

Speed & Smarts #140 15

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LESSONS FROM RIO: Geographic effects

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1616 Lessons from Rio