JACK-RABBIT STARTS....OR....

The Hare and the Hounds !!!

Note: Try pressing the scroll key to freeze this crazy rabbit

The hare blows a whistle at "- 3" minutes. He then reaches off on a starboard tack for about 1-1/2 minutes. Then he jibes or comes about onto a PORT tack, sheets in and heads toward a pre-selected day marker, say Red 4, hard on the wind. He STAYS on that tack. At time "0" (gun-time), the hare attempts to be close to the above starting area, Red 4.

The hounds cross his stern, as CLOSE AS POSSIBLE, hard on the wind, all on STARBOARD tacks, crossing roughly at time "0", when the hare is near the day-marker. The closer all the hounds cross near the day-marker the fairer the race, tho it probably is not at all critical. After the last hound crosses the hare's stern, the hare is free to tack. The hounds may tack any time after their own crossing. The race begins with the first stern crossing, not the last!

Think about it.... it's quite clever! The hare has a one boat-length advantage at the start. The closer the stern crossing, the better the start for any hound. Note that this start works only if the first leg is entirely inside the windward buoy's lay-lines. The stern crossing times are not relevant! Theoretically, the hare should carry a handicap of 1 boat length at the finish.

Penwell will provide the Rabbit Droppings Cup!


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