About the false start, the fuck-up version, the start on the wrong side, or carefully approaching the starting line. And about hopelessly trailing the fleet in the Olympic loser spirit. Five starting variations that can be combined endlessly.
Starting is as incomprehensible as golf. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. The difference between sailing and golf, however, is that golfers must first qualify to get access to the place, then comes the so-called handicap. Unfortunately, there is no such permission to join a racecourse.
You can practice the start of a regatta for a long time, master it to a certain degree, and still sail terribly some day. No one knows when it will happen or why. It’s just like golf. Apparently, it depends on practice, on others with or without regatta proficiency, the crew, karma, the wind — in other words, everything. Let’s just start at the beginning with the false version.
1. False start
Gamle Swede with sail number G 27, the classic 55 Sonja with sail number S 22, and a fleet of other Square Metre Boats are competing at the Schlank und Rank Regatta in Fehmarnsund. It is a nice and sunny summer day. Unfortunately, the light breeze is less than ideal for us. Because at two Beaufort, the similarly long and way lighter Sonja is challenging to keep. Other well-sailed skerry cruisers might also show us their transom today.
We sail along the starting line, where the dreaded Sonja and most of the other skerry cruisers have already lined up with their sails rustling in the gentle breeze. A gap opens up next to Sonja. We take it. It is difficult to estimate the distance and speed needed to arrive at the line just in time. Arriving late in this light breeze and then starving in the cover and turbulence of the others would be awful. Rushing in too fast and making a false start would be disastrous.
“Erdmann: You are to fast”Sailing friend Uli
Gamle Swede heading to the gap – Photo Michael Amme
The idea is to start just a little upwind and ahead of Sonja. My long-time friend Uli Eichler from Neubrandenburg is a level-headed and experienced sailor. He was once nominated for top-level sailing in the German Democratic Republic and is a pillar of the local sailing club. He warns me in the Mecklenburg dialect: ‘Erdmann, you’re going too fast, that’s not going to work.’ Since I always listen to Ulli, we ease the sheets. I fall back, sail down to Sonja, trying to gain distance and time.
As the photo on top of the article shows, we start ahead of Sonja as planned and cover the actually faster boat. A gentle breeze, everything is going well and the boys on the sleek planks next door are completely fed up. Bavarian ‘steering advisor’ Ulli Seer, an experienced regatta expert, familiar on the light-wind waters of Lake Chiemsee and his 30-foot skerry cruiser Dreamtime, is happy.
Sadly, our luck is short-lived. It appears we have made a false start. At first, I refuse to believe it and continue sailing until, rather annoyed, the boys next to us clearly state, ‘Come on, you too!’ Sonja initiates the agonisingly long loop around the start boat. We follow, circle the start boat and restart behind Sonja. All the other boats continue the legally entered race.
First encounter after restarting: Sonja ahead of Gamle Swede – Photo Sören Hese
The photo shows the course to the first mark. Unfortunately, the encounter looks more interesting through the telephoto lens than it was. Sonja easibly passes us at a safe distance on the starboard bow, which is obliged to give way. The combination of options 1 and 4 became option 5 on this day: sailing stupidly behind. In such dark moments, the true character and tact of sailing friends shows. They stare silently at the cockpit floor and the water. They will not comment on my botched start later. I am making it public years later with this article.
2. Chaotic start
In this variant, all participants gather at the right end of the starting line, drift mostly steerless on their preferred port tack with fluttering sails towards the line. Some try to maintain a certain degree of manoeuvrability by briefly pulling in close with a go-and-stop manoeuvre. If this get-together were not a regatta, everyone would have their fenders out.
Some fellows freak out. The tone becomes harsh. Some show true colours here. This start variant is the reason regattas are mostly sailed by primates, silver backs and men. It creates lifelong enmity, permanent awkwardness and a refusal to greet each other even beyond the regatta course. From wind force four onwards, the noise of flapping sails and the hectic atmosphere increase the adrenaline level.
Starting packed in the fleet at Max Oertz Regatta – Photo Nico Krauss
Although chaos is known to end randomly, it is always the same people leaving it reasonably well. Others draw all the bad cards here. Specialists manage to take the buoy of the starting line, including the anchor line, between the keel and the rudder blade. Then they dive while the others sail away.
This specialist eventually starts as a straggler in the worst, most bad-tempered version. Not a word is spoken to each other throughout the entire regatta and everyone looks in different directions, which is not conducive to the further course of the regatta. The chaos variant ends friendships and finishes off marriages.
Starting unbothered at the port side of the line at Schlank & Rank 19 – Photo Wolf Hansen
If too many participants with the same idea gather on the port side at the right end of the starting line, or if there are novices or participants who are not ready for regattas, start on the left and ideally alone, where Gamle Swede does its thing with height and speed. This bold solo start option creates an excellent atmosphere on board. And it is worlds better than sailing in cheekily, worrying about the boat, shouting, crossing the line too early and so on.
If the starting line is not exactly perpendicular to the wind and favours the left side, it will almost certainly work. If the boat is faster than the rest of the fleet, there are no adverse wind shifts and the wind does not run out of steam on the way, everything will be fine.
4. Sail in wisely
Version 4 in a relaxed, while a bit late manner – Photo: Torsten Nitsche
Anyone familiar with the chaos variant or who already knows the roarers, bumpers and participants who are not ready for regattas wisely choose variant 4. That’s what we did at the Schlank und Rank Regatta 2023 as the longest and fastest boat. Also because the level-headed sailing enthusiast Uli – ‘Erdmann, dat wird so nüscht’ – from Neubrandenburg was there, as was Richard Natmeßnig.
Gamle Swede sailing high and fast – Photo: Torsten Nitsche
As a generally gentle character, Richard doesn’t like to spend his precious leisure time with primates. Besides, I had promised him that we will spend the day in a civilized manner. So, about ten minutes before the start, I steer Gamle Swede towards Heiligenhafen and turn after 4 1⁄2 minutes in a nice and slow big arc. I set the backstay and sail at a wonderful speed towards the right buoy of the starting line at about half wind. There, the starting line chaos of the chaos variant dissolves before our eyes and offers a pleasant gap. We take the buoy with momentum. Uli and Richard luff up in sync. As the largest example of modern touring skerry cruisers, we pass all the other participants on the way to the first turning mark.
Unfortunately, it sounds better than it is. Because it’s all about the sailing time, calculated to the second, which is calculated as a handicap using the time factor of the respective yardstick number. This argues in favour of arriving at the starting line on time. As the photo shows, most of the participants are already well on their way when we arrive late. We have probably wasted a minute plus a few seconds. Uli thinks I’m slowly becoming more sensible. After the regatta, Richard says it was great and he’ll come again.
5. Sailing behind
You may decide to do this out of caution or for good reasons, such as your wife’s word being law or consideration for your sailing friends. The delayed option is the only alternative if you are not ready for the regatta. As shown, sailing behind results from botched start options 1, 2 or 4.
Gamle Swede (far right) choosing Version 4-5 at Max Oertz Regatta – Photo Nico Krauss
The joy of racing
Whether you compete with or without regatta experience, whether you begin with a false start, with chaos or thoughtfully. Whether your plan works out or not. The hours on the water are intense. And you even learn something for life: that you shouldn’t fixate on one competitor and do your thing instead.
Does it matter if you are mentioned at the evening awards ceremony with words of praise or criticism from the omniscient, strict and verbally overbearing sports director? It also doesn’t matter at all whether you get one of those engraved glasses. As this article and the concluding video by sailing enthusiast Vincent Volpe with a view of the Zwölfer Anita show, regatta sailing is more interesting than punching balls across the golf course.
Undisturbed sailing a minute after the start to Max Oertz Regatta – Video by Vincent Volpe
Schlank & Rank is sailed biannually at the beginning of July. Participants arrive on Friday evening, and sailing begins at noon on Saturday. The event concludes on Sunday. Registration/results for Schlank & Rank: → Manage to Sail, → Schlank & Rank website.
Photo on top by Sören Hese: Start Schlank & Rank Regatta 2015. Further credits to Nico Krauss, Wolf Hansen, Torsten Nitzsche. Published November 1, 2025, updated November 1, 25. Abonnieren Sie den → kostenlosen Newsletter und verpassen Sie keine neuen Artikel.
