There are usually going to be too many other factors at play to use this to your advantage at the start, but occasionally you’ll see someone start a race on a c

There are usually going to be too many other factors at play to use this to your advantage at the start, but occasionally you’ll see someone start a race on a completely different tack than the rest of the field and go on to finish far ahead of everyone else. Edit - to be clear, almost everyone figures out and starts on the favored tack - you don’t really need a sailing watch to do this. In races with heats or starting groups, you have to do this 10-15 minutes before your start, because once the starting sequences begin you don’t get near the start line until it’s your groups turn. So the advantage comes from recognizing and adjusting to any wind shifts that may have happened in the few minutes before your race.