Halfway up the beat, one boat is on the left layline, one is on the right, and one is in the middle. The wind is about to shift. Where would I rather be?
In the middle. A layline is the line that takes you straight to the windward mark with no more tacks, and when the wind shifts the laylines move with it. Get to a layline early and any shift costs you: if you are lifted you overstand, and if the layline swings away from you, you fall short. The boat in the middle uses the shift, then comes in on the layline late, close to the mark. In both races, wind right and wind left, she reached the mark about two lengths ahead. Even the boat that guessed the shift correctly lost, because she went all the way to the layline too soon.
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<p><a href="https://sailing.kiwi.nz/v/14WtfeZB-dc/">Source: Sailing Kiwi</a></p>Go deeper: books and gear
- Tactics Made Simple by Jon Emmett — Racing tactics, explained simply.
- Racing Rules Companion 2025-2028 by Bryan Willis — Spiral-bound pocket guide to the current rules.
- Five Oceans masthead wind indicator — See the wind direction at a glance.
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