Sailing that final leg to an upwind finish begins with tactical consideration for your closest competitors but soon enough must consider the finish line approach. Just like the other variables previously on the race course, all options are not all equal.
“As a race committee chairman … I am surprised at how few [sailors] seem to attempt to finish at the nearest point [favored end] of the finish line.” – Stuart Walker, in Advanced Racing Tactics
“Just as you should have an idea of which side of the beat is favored before you round the leeward mark, you should be thinking about the favored end of the finish line long before you get to it.” – Gary Jobson and Tom Whidden, in Championship Tactics
But sometimes it’s hard to know, or perhaps it all seems even to you, in which case… “Always finish at the end with a photoboat.” – Craig Leweck, Scuttlebutt editor.
Source: sailingscuttlebutt
