ONBOARD CARD 01 - Start to Block Island / First Offshore Leg
Phase: Race start through Narragansett Bay exit, past Block Island, first 50–80 nm offshore Typical elapsed time: 0–12h
UNFAMILIAR BOAT NOTES - READ THIS FIRST
This crew is racing Lupo Di Mare together for the first time. The following protocols are adjusted for that reality.
1. A clean start beats an optimized start for this crew. The Newport start area is crowded and tactically demanding. On an unfamiliar boat, trying to pin the line at the gun in a press of 200 boats is how you get in trouble - contact, protest, or worse. Target a clear lane with room to accelerate. Being 50 meters from the line at the gun with clean air is a better outcome than a perfect start in a hole or with no escape.
2. Pre-assign every role before the gun - then do not change it. Who is on the mainsheet, who is on the traveler, who is trimming the jib, who is calling the line, who is driving - these must be locked in before the start sequence. On an unfamiliar boat in a crowded start, improvising roles mid-sequence leads to miscommunication and slow boat speed at exactly the wrong moment. Run through the assignments during the countdown.
3. Everyone must physically touch their lines before the start. No crew member should be handling a sheet or halyard for the first time at the gun. In the final 30 minutes before the start, each person on a line assignment must locate and handle that line: main, traveler, jib sheets, any running backstays. Do not assume - confirm.
4. Do NOT set a kite in the first hour unless it has been practiced and everyone is ready. The first hour of the race is the highest-risk period for a crew on an unfamiliar boat. Concentrate on clean upwind boatspeed and lane management. A kite hoist before the crew is settled and the boat is clear of traffic is not a gain - it is a distraction that costs more time than it saves.
5. The first tack or gybe offshore on this boat is also the first tack or gybe offshore on this boat - give it time. Expect the first tack to be slower and messier than you want. That is normal. Do not call for rapid-fire tacks in the first leg while the crew is finding their footing. Call tacks with warning, execute them deliberately, and debrief what needs to improve before calling the next one.
PRIMARY OBJECTIVE
Get clean air, establish lane, get through the Rhode Island Sound TSS requirement (if applicable per SIs), and identify which side of the fleet is building pressure advantage earliest.
DATA TO CHECK
Before start: - Wind: current and forecast for Narragansett Bay and RI Sound (HRRR, NAM) - Sea breeze development timing (if light air start) - OPC surface analysis - front position if W-PF analog - Block Island Sound tidal current (aids or opposes the first 50 nm) - TSS routing requirement per current year SIs - confirm compliance lane
First 3–6 hours offshore: - Actual wind vs forecast: is the model right? - Pressure gradient building as expected? - Which side of the fleet has more pressure?
TRIM / SAIL IMPLICATIONS
| Wind | Sail | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| <8 kts upwind | J1 | VMG mode - patient |
| <8 kts 60–80° TWA | Code 65 | VMG reaching - light |
| 8–14 kts upwind | J1 | Pointing mode - race hard |
| 8–14 kts 60–80° TWA | Code 65 | VMG reaching - prime Code 65 range |
| 14–20 kts reaching | A2-1 / J3 | Pressure reaching |
| >20 kts upwind | J3 / J4 | Power/survival mode |
TACTICAL OPTIONS
- Go with the fleet early - establish position, see who has the wind, adjust
- Favor left (east) - if forecast shows southerly pressure building from east; typically favors boats that can sail tighter angles
- Favor right (west) - if Bermuda High fills from SW; rhumb-line boats benefit
- Cover the threat - if one class competitor is clearly strong, cover early
RED FLAGS
- Wind angle 20° different from forecast at start: reassess lane immediately
- One side of the fleet clearly has 3+ kts more pressure at the start: don't ignore it
- Front timing is earlier than forecast: accelerate departure tactics
- TSS violation risk: STOP and resolve before racing further
DECISION THRESHOLD
T+4h: If you have chosen a lane and it is showing 15+ minutes behind the comparable boats in similar rating, consider a conservative cross to reassess. Do not panic, but do not sleepwalk either.
T+8h: By Block Island, you should have pressure parity with comparable boats. If you are significantly behind on corrected time pace, something went wrong in the first leg. Review before committing to the offshore strategy.
WHO GETS WOKEN UP
- Watch captain: any wind shift >15° lasting >20 minutes
- Navigator: if instrument wind diverges >10% from forecast for >30 minutes
- Owner: if a TSS or course rule issue is identified
PRE-RACE RESEARCH - NOT race-period routing advice