Race Starts: start the fast fleets first, or the slow fleets first?

[pogen]

OK, we have the question of starting fast fleets first (as OYRA and a few others do) or the slow fleets first.

Some Pros and Cons

Fast Fleets First

Pro: allows fleet overall to stretch out in the initial phase of the race, no need for faster boats to pick their way through traffic and maybe bad air

Con: on longer races, gives the fast fleets even a bigger advantage to get done before wind shuts down or tide turns



Slow Fleets First

Pro: it's what we have always done

Pro: fleets finish times will be closer together on shorter races. Or is this a Con?

Con: the slow fleet is also the big fleet, and they are 'in the way' on the initial legs.

Con: on races that start early in the AM, the slow fleet spends more time in light air, assuming that the wind tends to build starting around 1100.

 

[Philpott]

Since this is the singlehanded sailing society, how many of our singlehanders are on "slow" boats and how many on "fast"? And that word "slow" is just so wrong.

 

[pogen]

Since this is the singlehanded sailing society, how many of our singlehanders are on "slow" boats and how many on "fast"? And that word "slow" is just so wrong.

Well I looked and we have a pretty 'normal' distribution of slow vs. fast.




And yes, let's not say 'slow'; say instead 'velocity challenged', or 'differently speeded'.

 

[BobJ]

Looks like I have a half-fast boat . . . (well somebody was gonna say it!)

Note that in the RtR Race, three of the top non-spin boats rated 27,72 and 90. Non-spin has been starting first, in theory because they are the "slowest." So it isn't all that straightforward.

For SH Farallones, LongPac and Half Moon Bay the boats will spread out quickly and we'll probably leave the order as-is for those, so we're really only talking about the Vallejo 1-2 for this year.

As I posted in response to Matt, I don't like having to choose between stealing his wind (going over him) or losing height to weather (bearing off to sail under him). I'm liking the idea of letting the fast boats start first.

 

[Travieso]

I don't care much. Starting later does give you some gauge about how you are doing in the race. But the fast boats do pass most of the slower boats during the course of the race and that can result in boat encounters or crossings. This is all part of sailing. There are pros and cons on either mode. Today the faster boats need to deal with the traffic and bad air ahead of the them at the start of the race. On the other hand, on lighter days boats in front might indicated windholes or other obstacles to avoid.

From a safety perspective there might be an advantage as it should reduce the boat encounters.

It doesn't hurt to try it.

 

[pogen]

Yes, I forgot to mention that one, late starters (either fast or slow) have a potential advantage in using the fleet ahead for wind indication.

 

[Wylieguy]

Originally the faster boats started first, working down to the non-spinners. During the 1980s and into the 1990s there were only a couple of dozen boats in most SSS races. The numbers began to grow during the '90s. The reasoning behind reversing the starting order was to allow slower boats (including non-spinnaker boats that, in those days, tended to be slow anyway) to get a 20 minute (or so) advantage on how much time they were taking to sail the course. Holding the multi-hulls until last was so they'd stay out of the Starting Box until they were the only water skeeters flitting around at high speed.
Over the years the number of boats has increased dramatically. I think the East Bay-Estuary (whatever it's called now) race is a good example. The Estuary Entrance got to be a problem for finishing - change. The Protero Reach got to be too crowded for the start - change. Various other configurations have been tried, each with its issues. Often these are issues having to do with the number of boats competing in a division. Collisions, near misses, protests for example.
I don't think the order of start is written in stone, nor does it need be the same for all SSS races. I'd like to see the Farallones and HMB Races remain "reversed." But I think the in-Bay races could be put back in the original order - and then see what happens.
Here's another thought: I think the SSS might reconsider the number of divisions, the number of boats per division, and prizes. Limiting awards to 3 per division for very large divisions seems too limiting. I think the SSS should either divide the fleet into smaller divisions or award additional prizes for large divisions. Historically there were more awards.
The SSS has become much more "series finalist" oriented than it used to be. I think this has led to a level of competitiveness (read aggressiveness) that's difficult when sailing shorthanded, especially singlehanded. Mix single and doublehanded boats in the same start, add in large numbers and aggressive sailing and you get a bad situation.

 

[Critter]

Another Pro for slow classes first: we get to see and wave to our friends in the other classes as they pass us or vice versa. OK, I admit it's a minor point, but it is a cheery little feature of our races. Especially in Vallejo 2, when we're all going the same direction and constrained by the width of the strait, it's something I really enjoy.

I agree that rounding Blossom in the Corinthian Race or Alcatraz in Round the Rocks can be very hairy with the classes converging. I didn't vote in the poll, because I think the choice should depend on the characteristics of the race course.

Pat: the SSI give the Race Committee the option to go deeper than 3 with awards. We've sometimes done this in big classes, at least when we're not pinching our pennies.

Max

 

[todd22123]

It is nicer for the Race Committee to have Slower go first, so the last boat to finish is earlier.

Todd

 

[Lanikai]

I'll refrain from voting because, as others have mentioned, I think it should depend on the race and conditions (tides). Basically, RC's choice.
From this slow boater's perspective:

Fast First:
Pro: keeps the aggressive doublehanders and blazing multis away from me. Rounding Blossom with the airborne alma of a tri a few yards off my boom was exciting, but I could have done with out it.
Major Pro: later start time gives my slow boat more time to get to the start. 2-3 hour motor trips from Alameda Marina to starts are bad enough as it is. A little extra sleep would be nice.
Major Con: When starting early, it's kind of fun to be in the mix and see how long I can stay ahead of an approaching fast boat. But as it is, the course lengths seem tailored toward faster boats. I'm in SSS primarily because I prefer the long, "tour-the-bay" course formats over the small up-down courses everyone else does. But I can imagine DNF becoming even more of a habit unless the wind is up for the whole race and tides are somewhat favorable. Combine shorter time available [fixed time limit minus a later start], unfavorable tide, a few lulls, and the result will be a lot of DNFs for slow boats, while the fast boats are already finished and home. Might as well be 2 different races (hmm...). But then again, maybe (no, definitely) I'm just pathetically slow and other slow boats would have no problem getting around in time.
Con: see above; RC will be tracking finish times for a much longer period. Coffee and doughnut budget will grow. Membership fees will go up. It'll be anarchy.

So, I don't know.

 

[pogen]

Well I hadn't thought about changing on a race-by-race basis, perhaps motivated by the course length or tides on the race day.

While it has some attraction, there is also room for mischief, just as with the choice of ToT or ToD. I don't think we would want to have the RC making that type of call based on the wind forecast, for example.

 

[Critter]

Pogen, I certainly wouldn't want the RC to make the decision on race day. That's a recipe for massive confusion.

I was thinking of weighing the nature of the course, the distance to the first mark, past experience of congestion, etc. The SIs would spell out the start order and we'd stick to it.

 

[Wylieguy]

I, too, vote for pre-planning and not race-day decisions. I totally agree with Max's "thinking" about which fleets to start when. And have it in the SIs.

 

[Now&Zen]

I have found a couple of real problems with my slow boat being an early starter. Mostly it is at the start. This year, the Three Bridge, the Corinthian and the Round the Rocks have all had crowded start lines. The fleets starting later are often at the line, testing for advantage, figuring out their starts. I have to work my way through these folks just to start. I would much rather have them started and out on the course while I am trying to start. We could make a larger start box which boats have to keep clear of once the start sequence has started but that would be hard to enforce. I know that reversing doesn't completely solve this problem, but getting the fast boats out and away quickly reduces a lot of crossing at the start and early in the race.
Max's point is well taken in that I have enjoyed the crossing with the other boats, but the starts are getting too congested and crossings on the bay to frequent with boats of significantly different speed. I would like to try reverse starts for in the bay races and keep the order for the ocean races.
Tony