Starting is one of the most difficult aspects of sailing to be consistent at so there is always room for improvement. In this part of the race you will be closer to all your competitors than at any other stage of the race.

My best starts are made when I’m feeling the most confident; this confidence comes from practise and faith in my ability. It is also important to have a controlled level of aggression, as you need to be both calm in your mind but at times aggressive in your actions.

Pre Start checks

I get out to the racecourse with a minimum of 30 minutes to the start; I need this much time to become comfortable with the conditions and my rig settings.

My pre start checks include:

• Wind- tide speed direction
• Transits how reliable are they and how confident am I with them
• Time and distance to the line
• Which way do I want to go up the beat?
• Choosing where to start