Rubatex Information

Racing: Covering Part II

Author: Staff
Covering, the tactic of staying between your opponent and the next mark, is one of those things that make racing so much more social and interesting than just waving or hooting at friends as you sail by. It involves action and reaction, give and take between you and the competition. This is especially true when "close" cover is called for.

Close cover means not only keeping between the opponent and the next mark, but also positioning yourself so as to put the opponent in dirty air - air that has flowed past your sail before getting to him. (See diagram for approximate shape of the dirty wind zone for a slalom board.) Close cover is a powerful tactic in a tight race because sailing fast in dirty air is impossible. Of course, close cover works only if you're quite close - within 50 feet of your opponent - so use it only in a tight race.