Part 5: The Finish
David Greene continues his series on owning and racing a racing cruiser:
How you finish a race can save you vital seconds. All too often, skippers and crew assume that the race is already decided, just sail between the committee boat and finishing mark and head home discussing who’s buying the first round. But because concentration levels are often low, many boats make cheap mistakes and those who are concentrating can gain some time.
First of all, identify both ends of the line. The committee boat end should be easy to spot, but get a fix on the finishing mark as early as possible. Then identify the favoured end of the line. This is the same as when starting but in reverse. If it’s an upwind finish, pick the end that is furthest downwind. When finishing downwind, pick the end that is most upwind. (Sounds complicated but think about it). Once you have identified the best end, sail straight at that end.
If you’re towards the top of the fleet, it’s probably best to hedge your bets as you approach the line and stay in the middle of the course until you identify the favoured end – if you aim for the lay lines and end up over standing the favoured end, you’ve overstood the finish and sailed too far. If you’re mid-fleet, watch where the leaders finish – they’ll generally finish at the best end.
Two other things are worth stating. Firstly, cross the line as perpendicular as possible- try to avoid sailing along the line. Secondly, make sure to “shoot the line”, meaning that when finishing upwind, luff up sharply or when finishing downwind bear away sharply.
Finally, it always worth noting your finishing time and the boats around you, just in case you weren’t seen by the committee boat, especially when it’s a busy finish.
Editor’s Note: This series is written by David Greene, an experienced skipper from Malahide, Ireland. David has decades of sailing and racing experience, often participating in local yacht club races and regattas around Ireland with his boat, White Pearl (Elan 331). Malahide estuary is located on the east coast of Ireland, characterized by strong tides and a sandbar that restricts the draught of boats.
