Having superb timing to the start line, great boat handling and effective defensive tactics are all part of the sequence leading up to the beginning of a race. Failure to execute any of the major components will result in a poor start. However even if perfectly done, it’s not guaranteed that your start will be successful.
Mastering control of your boat while going backwards opens up many new opportunities on the start line, allowing you to reset or reposition yourself farther up the line.
The shoot up will cut your drift time down the line in half and allow you to remain in control when someone to leeward of you holds their spot. Practicing this manoeuvre will give you tons of control on the start line.
After having done my pre-game research and having a good idea of where I want to start, I set up on the line, then use the remaining time (usually between 1 minute to 1:30 left) to create a bigger hole to leeward, and defend from poachers. The skills to increase your hole are known as "downspeed maneuvers" and they can be classified as:
