In this podcast, we break down a chaotic rounding at a leeward gate.  The conclusion:  in your attempt to make a wide-and-tight rounding, or to get your spinnaker down, never leave the zone.

This short podcast shows how to avoid the crowd of “Reaching In, Reaching Out” starters and get clear air.  The Vanderbilt start begins with a broad reach away from the line, instead of a typical beam reach strategy.  After making a jibe for the start,  you approach attach the starting line with a confident full speed approach.   This strategy is easy to adjust if you misjudge the distance to the start, and using full speed gives the helm a lot of control to gain tactical advantage over other boats.

We demonstrate the cardinal rule of leeward-mark roundings: start wide and finish tight. Using an example from the 2013 Melges 24 World Championships, we show how failing to start wide and finish tight at the leeward mark puts a boat in a lower lane than her competitors: in that lower lane, she starts the windward leg at a serious disadvantage.  It's a great lesson and an eye-popping example of some of the world's best sailors making a classic mistake.