Selecting a Course

How long the course should be depends on the wind speed. We want the races to take about 45 minutes for the first boat to finish. Based on the average performance (VMG) of several boats similar in length to our fleet, the following table indicates the approximate recommended total course length. However, I could not find performance numbers for the boats we typically race; the ones I found are somewhat faster (e.g., Beneteau First 20, Melges 24). Therefore, our courses should be somewhat shorter (5%?) than the guide’s suggestion. In some wind conditions, they will have to be shorter, and the races will finish faster. For the different types of courses, the guide indicates the distance between the windward and leeward marks. This is what you will enter into the Bouy Zone app. The app will show you how a course will lay out in the lake’s geography. You can use Bouy Zone before the skipper’s meeting to get an idea of what would work for the current conditions. There is more on this in the next chapter. You can then share your plan with everyone at the skipper’s meeting.

On windy days, we want a longer course. However, the lake’s geography limits our options. In lighter winds, the options for a shorter course are much more flexible. The longest triangular course (“O” or “T”) we can set has a leg length of about .7 nm. For an east or west wind, the longest leg length is about .5 nm. We can have a much longer windward-leeward course (“W” or “L”) with a north or south wind. For a longer course with a northwest wind, a good spot for the start may be inside Brookfield Bay. For a northeast wind, a good location would be just north of Candlewood Isle Club, with the windward mark well above Skull Island. However, this location does not allow a longer triangular course. The L3 course is the longest option for east or west winds.

Next chapter: How to use Bouy Zone

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