{"id":61,"date":"2025-06-06T14:42:15","date_gmt":"2025-06-06T14:42:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/yachtersworld.com\/?p=61"},"modified":"2025-06-06T14:42:15","modified_gmt":"2025-06-06T14:42:15","slug":"5-expert-tips-how-to-perfect-a-time-on-distance-sailing-start","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yachtersworld.com\/?p=61","title":{"rendered":"5 Expert tips: How to perfect a time on distance sailing start"},"content":{"rendered":"

Match racing puts huge emphasis on getting a great start. World champion Ian Williams shares his tips for calculating the perfect a time on distance start with Andy Rice<\/strong><\/p>\n

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When I go out on the Solent to go racing, I often see a lot of boats not even doing a single practice run before the start,\u201d says Ian Williams. \u201cAnd if you don\u2019t do a practice run, you\u2019ve got pretty much zero chance of getting your time on distance right.\u201d<\/p>\n

To a match racing<\/a> helmsman like Williams, time on distance is part of his religion, although he understands why some sailors might be loath to practise such a critical part of the race. \u201cPractising a timed run does require a little bit of planning. Maybe you\u2019re late off the dock, you\u2019ve got other priorities competing for limited time on the water, maybe getting the rig set up, practising your tacks and gybes \u2013 so I get it.\u201d<\/p>\n

But there\u2019s really very little excuse for not working on your time on distance judgement. \u201cIt\u2019s a learned skill. To some people it might come naturally, but for me, I do it much more mathematically. I\u2019ve done enough of it that I think I can judge the distance quite well now,\u201d he says with typical understatement.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no doubt that whoever you are, the more you practise it, the better you\u2019ll get.\u201d Here are Ian\u2019s best tips for nailing your time on distance.<\/p>\n

Do a practice run<\/h2>\n

Do at least one practice run before any racing start. If you\u2019re in a big one-design fleet the start can be crucial. In a handicap fleet, nailing the start to the second might be less critical \u2013 even so, you definitely want to do at least one practice run to get a feel for the current and the wind and how quickly you\u2019re going to close the line.<\/p>\n

The key thing is always to make sure you\u2019re near the start line 15-20 minutes before the start. Sometimes the pin end mark gets laid quite late, so make sure you\u2019ve done everything else in preparation and leave those final minutes as an opportunity to test the line once it\u2019s been set up.<\/p>\n

Article continues below\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

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5 expert tips: How to hold a lane upwind<\/a><\/h2>\n<\/header>\n
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Learning to live in a thin lane is one of the key skills that separate the great from the good.\u2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n