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ABC to start racing
By Ellen Faller

Our goal on this page is to help you understand what is involved in racing on a windsurfer at the simplest levels.

There are many benefits to participating in races:

The chance to improve your sailing skills,
The challenge to sail better than the last time,
The thrill of doing your personal best,
The social environment of enjoying the sport with other enthusiastic sailors and... there is the possibility that you could win too!

We were all beginners once, and we know that the idea of racing can be intimidating. We recommend that you begin with some fun racing to build your confidence and develop your skills. As your skills and your confidence build up, you will feel more comfortable and be more excited about taking on the next level of challenge.

What is a race?
Two sailors on the water going in the same direction, at the same time is often an unofficial, informal race already. Even secretly, we all enjoy passing another board! That competitive challenge is what makes a race.

An official race will be a challenge to sail successfully around a course. A course is the path you will follow from the Starting Line, sailing around one or more markers on the water, and finally across the Finish Line. As you improve, the next challenge will be to sail the course with more speed and efficiency, and ultimately to try to cross the Finish Line ahead of everyone else. Racing will help you to improve your sailing skills in a focused way. It will give you practice with the steering and control that you have been learning. When the race course says you have to get from point A to point B, you will have to figure out how to do it in the most efficient way, and you will learn what works and what does not. Add in some strategy to help you figure out the shortest route around the course, and throw in some tactics for dealing with other racers, and it becomes a challenge for the mind as well.

For Absolute Beginners:
We will support event organizers, schools and sailing clubs to host simple and fun races for absolute beginners. If you are a beginner, but there are no local events or clubs, please ask other sailors about organizing such races, or to help you make the arrangements. It will be fun to meet and sail with other people, and to develop a network of sailing buddies and small fleets. You can encourage others to improve by sharing what you have learned with one another. The challenge to improve will help you all.

At the next level:
With more windsurfing experience and some competitive spirit, it may be time to try an organized race at a local event. There are some important things that you will need to know in order to feel comfortable with the increased level of challenge. Knowing basic rules of racing, understanding what happens on race day, and a little advice for participating in your first race will help to make the experience more fun. We assume that you are familiar with basic sailing terms.

What, when, where and how:
There will be a Notice of Race to inform you of the event. It will include date, time, place, and the information about what kind of races will be held. The most common types of race are course, slalom, and long distance.

Usually, there will be more than one race at an event, perhaps 5 or more races per day. Events may be one or more days, with a number of races run every day if there is proper wind. After several races have been run, (four or five) it is common to "discard" or "throw out" each racer's worst finish(es). This practice allows everyone to ignore a poor finish.

As a racer you will want to arrive in plenty of time so that you can look at the location, learn about the sailing site and the conditions, determine what gear you will need, and find a place to rig your equipment. You will need to register with the organizing group, list a sail number, and choose what class/fleet you will be racing in.

The sail number will be one or more letters and/or numbers you will have on your sail so that you can be properly identified at the finish line and on the course.

Usually, the racers will be divided into several classes based on board type, sail size, age, weight, experience, or combinations of these categories. The advanced Formula Class, Formula Experience for Youth & Amateurs, Mistral One Design, Open Class - heavyweight, Juniors, Women, Sport Fleet, are some examples. Since you are new to racing, choose to race in the group that will have the less experienced racers in it, like the new Fun Time Racing Division. That way, you will not be in the middle of the high level, very competitive racers where the pressure is intense and emotions run high. You can join them another day! There will be a Skipper's Meeting scheduled before the racing begins. Everyone who is racing should be there. At the meeting, the Race Committee will provide information about the time of the start of the first race, the timing sequence before the start and the signals to be used, what classes will start together, (if any) and most importantly - they will describe the course to be raced. The course may be different for different classes. This meeting is your chance to ask questions and to be sure you understand what will happen. Often, questions are not allowed once out on the course. You can make drawings and notes for yourself, and even draw the course on the monofilm of your sail if that will help.

Take the time to look at the sailing site and find where the starting line is, and where the marks for the rest of the course are. Try to pick some landmarks to help orient yourself, and keep track of the course. Check your watch so that you will know when your first start will be, and get on the water as soon as you can. Sail to the starting line, observe the wind direction, and note any obstacles, anchored boats, or other distractions that may be in the area. Relax yourself by sailing around. See how long it takes you to sail up to the starting line from 50 meters/150 feet away, so that you can be within a reasonable distance a few minutes before the start. Pick out a more experienced racer in your start group and try to follow what they do.

If there will be two or more starting signals, be sure you know which one is for you. A watch with a count down timer can be helpful. If you are in a less experienced group, you will often be the second start so stay clear of the sailors in the first start.

Right now, it may seem to you that there is too much information that you need to remember. There probably is, but it gets easier with practice. You learned to windsurf, and that seemed complicated at first, but look where you are now! Just relax, find someone to follow, breath, and relax the grip you have on the boom. Don't worry about anyone else out there. Use your skills to get to the first mark and go from there, one leg at a time. Follow someone, and do what he or she is doing.

Novice Racers personal progress scorecard:
Use this as your personal scoring system. The races will be scored in another way, but you are racing for you, and your personal best.

Sail the race one section, or leg, at a time. If you do not finish the first race, you made the start, so give yourself 1 point. Give yourself another point for every leg that you complete. Do not worry if you cannot complete the whole race, because you get 2 points just for trying. If you complete the race long after everyone else, you did finish so give yourself 3 points. If you finish ahead of someone, give yourself 4 points, and 1 point more for each person behind you. With practice, your personal score will rise!

Glossary: Course race: a race that is described by a path around a number of marks that all racers have to follow from starting line to finish line, most often with upwind/downwind legs.

Slalom race: usually a course set across the wind for fast reaching, and powered turns. Often held in winds over 20 knots. Fast, exciting and lots of adrenaline.

Long distance race: exactly what it sounds like, you will be sailing over a long distance, perhaps around an island, across a bay, or out to a distant mark and back again.

Penalty turn: if you break a rule, you may turn your board around twice, through 720 degrees, and then continue to race without being disqualified.