Dinghy Racing: Your Final Approach to the Start Line

by Kim Couranz (published on Spinsheet Magazine – July 7, 2025)

What makes a good start in a sailboat race? To vastly oversimplify, it’s crossing the line at full speed, heading in the direction you want to go, with clean air and little traffic, ideally at or near the favored end of the line if one exists, as the gun goes off. 

Lots of elements go into getting a good start, and I’ll offer that the decision when and where to start your final approach to the line is one of the top factors. Getting this timing down is tough. Set up too early, and you’ll end up a sitting duck with no momentum, and other competitors can take advantage of you. Set up too late, and you risk not finding a spot.

What variables affect when to set up?

Length of the line relative to the size of the fleet. If the race committee has set a line that’s too short for the number of boats in your fleet, it’s like playing duck-duck-goose: You’ve got to get to your chair before the music stops. If you usually start lining up around 45 seconds to go, push it back another 20 seconds or so to reserve your spot on the line. You’ll need good boat handling to maintain your position, and a keen eye and quick reaction time to fend off any interlopers, but being able to stay in a spot where you’ll have clean air as the gun goes off is important.

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