Game Plan-2/3/4
This brings us to the 2/3/4, the second of the three solid combinations. This combo is quite possibly the strongest when executed properly. The advantage is in that the three boat 2/3/4 combo only has to keep two boats, 5 and 6, behind them. On the other hand, the opponent in the first place position, of the 1/5/6 combo must slow down one or more of the 2/3/4 combo. When first tries to do this, she places herself in the dangerous dilemma of losing her first place position to one of her opponents. All the 2/3/4 combo has to do is stay close and ensure that 5/6 stay behind them.
The 2/3/4 represents a true Team Racing challenge: if one teammate gets in trouble and loses an opponent, it is up to the third teammate, who is not covering fifth or sixth, to be there to regain control over the opponent. Once this control is regained, it is necessary to slow the opponent and bring one’s own team mate up to speed and back into position. While she is slowing one opponent, the teammate who covers the other opponent must slow that boat down so as to balance each of the pairs and push back fifth and sixth behind the struggling teammate. Larry, Moe, and Curley demonstrate this in figure 6. The 2/3/4 can be visualized as a powerful triangle with two corners covering their respective opponents and the third, the point man, remaining on station, between the two teammates and waiting to come to aid of a teammate who has lost control over a matched opponent.
