Stop guessing the line: a repeatable start routine

Ask ten sailors what went wrong at the start and most will describe the last fifteen seconds. Almost always the problem happened earlier, and it was a problem of information rather than boat handling.

Ping both ends, every time

A line you pinged is a line you can trust. A line you eyeballed is a line you will argue with yourself about all the way to the gun. Make pinging both ends part of the routine, not something you do when there is time.

Know your number, not your feeling

Distance to line is the single number that turns a nervous approach into a calm one. The question stops being "am I early?" and becomes "do I need three boat lengths of burn or one?"

Decide the end before the sequence

Pick your end while you still have time to change your mind. Line bias, tide and the first shift are all easier to read at four minutes than at forty seconds.

Then sail the boat

The point of a routine is that it frees you up. Once the numbers are handled, your attention goes back where it belongs — on the boats around you and the water ahead.