I'm stuck behind a boat sitting right on my wind. Every time I tack, she tacks on top of me. Do I keep tacking, or is there a way to fool her?
Stop tacking. Every sail leaves a patch of dirty, slower wind behind it, and a tight cover parks that patch on you. Each tack she answers drops you further behind. The escape is the dummy tack: head up hard, as if you are about to tack. The leader sees it and tacks to cover. Then bear straight back down onto your old course. She has gone the other way and you are in clean air at full speed. It is not free, because the fake costs you some speed, so do it once and make it look real. If you are the one covering, do not tack until she is really through the wind.
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<p><a href="https://sailing.kiwi.nz/v/_4KEf2rSa4Q/">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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