Starting strategies

When the mark is off the angle of the wind by 10 degrees or more (sometimes on a shifty lake you could be dealing with a 25-degree variation or more), we call the course skewed, 

You want to sail on the tack with closer angle to the mark or jibe as quickly as you can so you are directly upwind or downwind of the mark. 

This means you have sailed the skew and squared up the leg. 

If there is any lift or header, you will be able to sail a shorter distance than your competitors who are on the edges of the course. 

Think about being short of a layline and then getting a lift and being able to make the mark. You sailed a shorter distance than the boat that was already on layline because that same lift made it overstand the layline and it had to sail a greater distance. 

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