Conditions: SW 12 - 14, strong ebb current, moderate chop (ebb against wind).

Rig & Sails: Rig at base setting first race, changed up one setting for second race. Genoa first race. Blade for first leg of second race, changed to Genoa for remainder of the second race.

Course Strategy: Upwind go right, aggressively to leverage the favorable ebb current. Favor the starboard layline near the weather mark to avoid the fluky wind on the left, near shore (caused by turbulence over the GG bridge south tower and headland). Downwind, seek relief from the ebb by going inshore -- balancing 3 factors: 1) extra sailing distance, 2) tactical position versus other boats, 3) ebb relief. There is less wind inshore, but as is often the case in San Francisco Bay, current effect is the primary consideration of the course strategy.

Starting Strategy: Pin end of starting line was heavily favored -- between 15 - 25 degrees depending on the time and where we measured the wind. Initial course strategy was to go aggressively to the right side of the course as soon as practical. The books say when the pin is heavily favored and you want to go right after the start, strongly consider a port tack start at the pin end. This was further reinforced by the fact that we had a relatively long line and a relatively small fleet. We utilized a port-tack, pin-end start for races 2, 3 and 4. It worked very well in races 2 and 4 and reasonably well in race 3 (had to duck three starboard boats in search of a suitable hole).

Note that the theory of a port tack, pin-end start sounds good on paper, but in reality when the entire fleet is heading toward you on starboard with 30 seconds to go, none of the "holes" look very big and the whole situation suddenly looks like a really bad idea. However, once you do pick a hole and head up into it, you squirt through pretty quickly. The tactician can help the situation by finding the hole early and guiding the helmsman to it. The "head start" you get by starting at the pin end and the benefit of having one less tack adds up to a pretty significant advantage -- especially in a short race. Note, the "penalty" for being OCS when you are starting on port is pretty severe as it can be a painfully long time before you can get across all the starboard tack starters and then get back across the line to restart -- you have no rights when returning to start. You pays your money, you takes your chances...

Tactical Issues: Downwind with a boat following within one or two boat lengths:. The trailing boat is in an attacking position and has an advantage. It is difficult to hold off the attacking boat and keep them from taking the inside position -- especially when there is an advantage in going further right and inshore for current relief. We were in this position three separate legs. Twice we were successful staying directly in front of the attacker and later preserving the inside position -- though it cost us against the boats that aggressively went inshore for current relief. One leg, we let the attacking boat inside during a moment of indecision, and wound up conceding the leeward mark rounding to them and were never able to reel them back in before the finish. Lesson learned -- the inside position at the leeward mark is critical and you must aggressively seek or preserve it -- especially late in the downwind leg.

Tacking for clear air versus footing through the lee: On two occasions we were sitting in the exhaust of a leading boat and were forced to either tack away for clear air or foot through their lee. Tacking for clear air meant heading away from the favored side of the course. Footing through their lee meant giving up distance on the ladder rungs. We found footing to be the right call when the leading boat was slightly slower (or pinching) and the right side of the course heavily favored. Later in the day, we were in a similar position against a faster competitor (who was well ahead) and elected to tack out for clear air. The right side had lost some of its heavy favor and we felt we would give up more distance working through their lee. A tough call.

Tight cover at the finish: We tacked early for the finish (aimed about mid line). Our trailing competitor sailed further and tacked on the layline to the committee boat. We neglected to tack and cover while we had the room to do so. The committee boat was favored and the left side of the course had more turbulent wind (and thus slowed us a little). Lesson learned - tack and tightly cover the trailing competitor to ensure there is little or no separation when you get to the finish line. Our lee bow or exhaust would have ensured they didn't finish in front.

Rules Issues: 18.2(a) Overlapped at the zone. As is the case in most of our races, you are often overlapped inside or outside of another boat when you get to the two length zone of a leeward mark rounding. The outside boat must give the inside boat room. The overlap is not always obvious especially in a race like this where some boats go way inshore for current relief and thus are approaching the mark from a long way out at a very different angle. It pays to think way ahead and hail them early and often to make sure they know you are overlapped well before you get to the mark.

18.2( c) Not overlapped at the zone. Sometimes boats who are not entitled to inside room at a leeward mark rounding try to take the inside room late in a rounding. This happens because the boats ahead often slow down dramatically as they round -- tactical issues, sail handing, etc, cause this. And, it starts to look like there is room inside after all. These interlopers don't realize that the boat ahead is often making a tactical rounding -- swing wide and round close. If you don't have the overlap at the zone, don't stick your bow in late in the rounding, it almost never works -- you'll either foul the boat ahead or you'll be all pinched up after a slow rounding. Take your lumps, douse early, round wide and power through the lee of the boat to weather or tack and clear. Ask us how we know…

Against the seawall on opposite tacks -- Rule 18.2(a) again. These conditions often wind up with boats close together running along the seawall. Sometimes they can be on opposite tacks. In one instance we saw, the boat nearest the seawall (inside) was on port gybe and the boat next to them (outside) was on starboard. Rule 18.2(a) gives the inside boat room to safely pass the continuing obstruction -- the seawall. It reads like this, "…When boats are overlapped the outside boat shall give the inside boat room to round or pass the mark or obstruction [the seawall is an obstruction in this case], and if the inside boat has right of way [is on starboard for example] the outside boat shall also keep clear." It's also common sense -- the outside boat can't run the inside boat into the seawall just because they are on starboard gybe and the inside boat is on port gybe.

Anita Rock & Buoy -- Rule 18.2(a) again: The Sailing Instructions define the area between Anita Rock (the big concrete post) and her buoy as an obstruction. The conditions this weekend often has the fleet sailing into the area of Anita Rock. You can treat the buoy or the post as you would a leeward mark. The boat overlapped and inside gets room. Note, our interpretation of the SI is that while you can't pass between the buoy and the post, you ARE permitted to pass between the post and the beach -- which many competitors do.

The conditions were similar except the wind was more westerly and a bit lighter. The westerly aspect eliminated much of the fluky, turbulent wind that was present Saturday on the left side near the weather mark. This made the port layline more useful at the top of the course. We ran race 3 at our "base" rig setting and race 4 at the next rig setting up giving us slightly better pointing and less need to depower in the breeze and chop.

The ebb again made the right side heavily favored upwind and inshore heavily favored downwind. We noted a substantial difference in the force of the ebb between the buoys inshore versus those a little further off the beach -- "A" and "B" by the Golden Gate Yacht Club, for example.