OPTIMIST STRATEGYThe Start
Which End Is Favoured?
Luff head-to-wind at mid-line and note which end your bow points at — that end is favoured (closer to the wind).
The 'favoured' end of the start line is the one that sits furthest upwind, so a boat starting there is ahead of the whole fleet before the race even moves. To find it, sail to the middle of the line and luff head-to-wind so your bow points dead into the breeze. Whichever end your bow swings toward is the favoured end — here the bow points at the pin, so the pin is favoured. Always re-check in the last few minutes, because a wind shift can flip which end is best.
Opens the animation on the boat-length grid — run it well, then brief it from the same picture. Free, no account needed.
What to call out
- Sail to the middle and luff head-to-wind, then note which end the bow points at, because that end is closest to the wind and therefore favoured.
- Re-check in the last minutes before the start, because a shift can flip the favoured end and leave you on the wrong side.
- Match your favoured end to the side you want up the beat, because the start should set you up for the strategy, not just win a metre.
- If the favour is tiny, take the less crowded spot, because clean air off the line beats a one-boatlength edge in a pile-up.
startfavoured endhead to windline biaswind directiondecision