Conditions

Light air racing

The lighter the breeze the greater the number of variables, most of which are out of control. The golden rule is: Speed is King! Light air racing is a lot like gambling. You are going to have to take risks, and you will need some luck. Sometimes the best laid plans are going to go awry. Embrace it!

Bottom must be perfect

Any slime or growth will have a dramatic impact on boat speed.
Bottom perfection is more critical in light air than in heavier air.
No amount of time spent fairing or cleaning is wasted.
You have to wipe the bottom down before every race.

Get rid of weight

Stuff onboard has a habit of accumulating.
Boat speed is a direct reflection of horsepower-to-weight ratio.
Put the boat on a diet. It is the easiest way to improve speed in light air.

Resist temptations

When sailing upwind, we need to resist the temptation to point
Get help from trimmers. You cannot steer fast enough to keep up with the telltales. Refrain from over steering.
Downwind, err on the side of speed. Resist the temptation of sailing deep, even if that is where the mark is.

Heel is your friend

Heel creates weather helm and helps with feel.
Keep the weight forward and to leeward.
Get the bodies out of the cockpit and forward up by the shrouds.
In the puffs slide a body or two at a time up to maintain a consistent angle of heel.

Move like a cat

Movement kills speed, so everyone needs to stay frozen in place
When movement is necessary, move like a cat.
On tacks, move to the middle first and only then together to the other side

Starts: low density wins

Critical: stay out of clumps of boats around the starting line.
Assure enough space to leeward so that you can reach to be build speed in the last minute
It often pays to push the ends of the line (but all will try to do that)
The surest way to clear air is to start at the pin, or failing that at the boat end with a quick tack.
Light air starts require more commitment than normal

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