Do's and Dont's
NEVER PASS A MARK 2/4/6. If you see you are approaching a mark with a 2/4 or a 4/6, always take the opportunity to stop at the two length zone and set up for the passback with the opponent between you and your teammate.
WHEN EXECUTING A PASSBACK IN A LIFT, squeeze the opponent out from in between you and your teammate. Make him tack out and go the wrong way on a header.
WHEN EXECUTING A PASSBACK IN A HEADER, have the weather teammate pin the opponent in the middle so that the team-mate to leeward can tack out and ride the lift while the other teammate controls the opponent on the headed tack.
WHEN YOU’RE THE MOST LEEWARD BOAT IN PASSBACK, and the most weather teammate has poor position (she is not bow out), bear away and then head up several times. The opponent above you will follow your moves and maintain cover. While you and the opponent slow yourselves down, the teammate to weather can go fast in a straight line and gain better position for luffing on the opponent in the middle.
SLOW TWO BOATS WHEN YOU CAN. It is always better if one boat can slow two opponents. An obvious example of this is when one teammate can delay two opponents trying to pass him back. Equally important, it would be very nice to pin two boats at a mark rounding if they don’t anticipate this and let you pin them both. Watch out for being pinned and then pinning your teammate by accident!
IF YOU ACCOMPLISH AN OVERLAP FROM ASTERN THE OTHER BOAT, change the way the overlap was established. For instance, if you are on a reach, and surf into an overlap situation, you should execute an Up-Down if you are the windward boat and you should execute a Jibe-Jibe if you are the leeward boat. By doing this, you have more control over the other overlapped boat.
IF AN OPPONENT AHEAD PINCHES AFTER PASSING THE LEEWARD MARK, make sure you do not get pinned to leeward. Instead, slow your boat before passing the leeward mark, pass the mark with speed, and then tack. This way you will tack with speed, while the opponent will attempt a tack to cover from a slowed state of pinching... definitely slow. You should be able to get bow out immediately and then pinch her off!
NEVER SAIL IN A TEAMMATE’S BAD AIR - If you and a team mate round together, have a general rule, such as that the first of the two will tack out.
5th SHOULD ALWAYS COVER 6th. You should include a fifth always covers sixth rule into your Team Racing strategy. It is a safety that keeps opponents from beating you on a shift. If nothing else, it will at least protect you in case another opponent decides to drop on you. At least you are already covering one opponent.
LUFF EFFECTIVELY -Make sure your jib luffs ahead or directly forward of the opponent’s jib. A good rule is to only luff if your jib will luff ahead of her forestay.
FAKE TACK TO COVER - When you cross an opponent and she knows you are going to tack and cover, she will tack to keep from being covered. Instead, fake tack and end up with great position on her, covering and pinning her from tacking out.
IF YOU SEE AN OPPONENT REACHING DOWN TO COVER YOU, and she is followed by your teammate, tack out. Make sure she is pinned and cannot tack on top of you.
