14/09/2026
Upwind, traffic decisions happen fast. And the biggest losses come from one thing: hesitation.
When another boat is crossing, you usually have two options: duck (go behind) or tack (turn away). Both cost something—your job is to pick the cheaper cost.
Most sailors react late. The best sailors decide early.
QUICK RULES
• If you’re fast and have a lane: ducking can be cheaper than a bad tack
• If you’re slow or pinned: tacking early can save minutes of suffering
• If you tack, make sure you have space and clean air on the new tack
PRO TIPS
• A “bad tack” (no lane, dirty air) costs more than it looks—avoid panic tacks.
• Ducking is not weakness. It can protect speed and keep your mode.
• If you’re already slow, ducking often makes you even slower—consider a clean tack instead.
• Crew callouts matter: one person calls closing speed, one calls space to leeward, one calls the lane after the move.
• The best teams have a default: “early decision beats perfect decision.”
Do you lose more upwind in shifts… or in traffic?