NCC Lessons Learned - Course Decision Making

Jack and I came up with a list of the things we learned on this trip. I'll post them here in case someone else can benefit from our experience (and also so we don't have to relearn them ourselves). This first category is centered on 'Course Decision Making.' We probably made a number of tactical errors on course which could have improved our finishing time or improved our comfort level for the whole race. This is our list so far; feel free to comment on them!

• Need to work out minimum upwind tacking speed versus paddling direct to your destination. This is a must have for any Watertribe type race, where you will often face adverse winds and currents. Assuming 45 degree tacks with the wind coming from your destination (like we faced all day Friday), less than 70% of your actual speed is directed towards your goal. If you can paddle faster than you can sail, drop the mast already! You do have to make the trade decision between paddling effort expended and race progress. For a longer race, it would probably be worth it to sail slowly in order to conserve your energy for when you really need it. For a 'short' race like the NCC, even an hour difference in a long leg could make the difference when it comes to tides and wind shifts.
• Reef early, rather than during the storm. This is obvious, but when the winds aloft are strong and a front can move in at 35mph, you need to be ready early! 
• Another reefing lesson: hiking out is fun and lets you go a little faster, but consider how you will feel 12 hours later when you are still wet, the sun has gone down, etc. In very strong winds you might even be able to sail faster with the sail reefed depending on the limitations of your leeboard / centerboard sizing. For a two-person team, sailing reefed also enables one of the crew to sleep instead of hiking out. 
• Don't change out of wet clothes unless you are sure it will be dry for a while (or it is an emergency). 
• Schedule 'meals' to make sure you will have enough calories to stay warm and happy. If you wait until you are hungry, you might be trying to dig through a hatch in the middle of a storm.
• Study tide data ahead of the race, and print it out or write it in sharpie on your charts.  Your memory will be affected by sleep deprivation and stress.
• With the one above: make sure to schedule rest breaks and naptime to coincide with adverse tidal conditions, wind shifts, etc. You will kick yourself later if you stop to take a nice hour long break and then have to fight for the next four hours. 

More to come: General preparations and Boat modifications.