DEFENSIVE TACTICS WHILE SAILING TO WEATHER

Have you ever wondered how those "Rock Stars" seem to get by you in those close situations, or keep their air clear even though you're trying your best to gas them? Sometimes you just don't feel like you're not in complete control of the situation. Frequently, you may not be!. Here are some of the sneaky tricks they use, and you can too, to confound the opposition.

Preventing a close crossing boat from tacking on you.
PROBLEM: You're beating to windward and you're on the tack you want to be on (hopefully a lift or towards the favored side of the course). Here comes a boat that can cross you, but not by much — maybe by less than half a boatlength. It doesn't matter which tack you're on — he's got you clean. Look at the skipper & crew. Do they have that look that says; "Let's dump on this guy but good!"? If they do, then they probably will and you'll be forced to tack — definitely a bad idea.

SOLUTION: There a really two problems here. 1) The crossing boat tacks ahead and to leeward putting you in his upwind wash. 2) He tacks to windward, smack in your face. They both have the same defense.
In either instance, when the opposition's bow gets to within 2 boatlengths of yours, crack your sheets slightly and bear away directly at him. If his plan is to tack safe leeward, then he'll be forced to tack earlier than he would have had you maintained your course. When he does, quickly trim in and head back up to proper course — you should be able to achieve clear air to windward and now have him pinned.
But, let's say his plan is to tack to windward and ahead. As he crosses, gradually trim sheets and alter course to windward, directly at him. (Remember, you can't alter course to prevent him from keeping clear, even if you're the right of way yacht. Be sure that the crossing is not so close that you could foul him by doing so.) As he crosses ahead of your bow, you should end up pinching your boat. By doing so you should be able to fool the him into delaying his tack momentarily. When he tacks, you bear away to your proper course and break through to leeward long before he get's back up to speed.

Pinching a weather boat off.
PROBLEM: You've success fully tacked safe leeward on another yacht, but you want him to tack away either because it would force him in the wrong direction, or you want the free dom to tack as soon as possible.
A good example of the former is that you're both on or very near a layline. And the latter, that you're approaching the opposite tack layline and you don't want to be forced to tack behind him and in his bad air.

SOLUTION: This takes communication between the crew and helmsman. Have you're crew watch his bow. As he heads off to build speed, you trim sails and pinch up, closing the distance on him. This should cause concern on his part and force him to over-react and pinch too much. When he does, then you ease slightly and foot off to build back the speed that you lost while pinching. As he bears away in response to your footing, trim and pinch again. This will close the distance between the two boats rap idly, and cause him to over-react again. You'll find this devastingating to the confidence of the helmsman on the weather boat. Pretty soon he'll think that there's no way he can point with you, and he'll be forced to tack away.

Breaking a tight cover.
PROBLEM: You're on a beat and the competitor is just ahead of you is determined to sit on your air all the way up the leg. You want to be on the opposite tack in clear air either; (a) to head toward the favored side; (b) to be on the lifted tack or; (c) to cover the competitors behind you.

SOLUTION: First, there's no effective way of completely breaking a tight cover without losing a lot in the process. A tacking dual might wear you opponent down and cause him to split, but it usually results in too much lost ground, or ends in your heading in the wrong direction while you opponent chooses the favored tack. And a good sailor won't fall for a fake tack — an attempt on your part will just lose you more distance.

SOLUTION: The solution is to trim your sails for height and go into heavy pinch mode. Your opponent will continue on his usual course while you pinch into seemingly worse backwind. When you're astern and his apparent wind direction is pointed directly at you, tack! When he tacks, you'll be in clear air to leeward.

Herding your immediate competitor.
PROBLEM: The roles are reversed in the problem above. You're ahead of your completion and want to encourage him to either; (a) sail the lifted tack, (b) head towards the favored side of the course, (c) force him to the layline where he cannot beat you or, (d) cover the fleet behind.

SOLUTION: The trick is to offer your competitor clear air when he's headed in the right direction, and provide him with a dose of your backwind when he's headed the wrong way. Naturally you have to be close enough to him to materially affect his wind — all the more reason to want to control him since he will be close enough to be a threat.
When he's headed in the direction you want him to, and you tack to cover, allow him just enough clear air to leeward to encourage him to continue on his present course. Now, if you want him to tack, ease sails and foot down onto his wind, forcing him no alternative but to come about to clear his air. A couple of times at this and he'll usually figure it out that it's better to go in the direction that affords him clearer air — and the one you want him to go in.