Race help please

[paolosup]

Tomorrow I will participate in my first race (SUP Salmon Classic)....4mile long. Should be pretty straight forward with only one turn at half point.
I am paddling for only 4-5 weeks, so no expectations at all...just curious how it will all work. I have never even seen a SUP race...so have no idea what to expect.

Any suggestions on the tactics? Due to the distance do you just go all out whole race or do you save energy and go faster later?

Please let me know your thoughts.

Thanks,
P

[XLR8]

You go all out.  The start is super important.  You haul ass for as long as you can and try to hang on.  You speed up as you approach the buoys and try to be strategic on the turn if anyone is around you.  If you are behind after the turn you draft a bit until you see the time to slide past.  Step a little further forward on that Javelin and see how that feels.  Good luck!

[paolosup]

Thanks XLR8.

I was wondering what the best position would be...back or front of the board....sounds like a bit more forward.

[desfluranesup]

XLR8 has it right, balls to the wall from the gun.
Just toes in front of the handle on my Jav in a neutral wind/chop, depending on up or down wind, move forward (upwind) and back (downwind)

[juandoe]

You want to be forward enough that you don't sink your tail.  It should be flat with the water.

[TallDude]

Seeing that it is your first race, just have fun. I recommend you start off to the side. There is a turbulence unique to the start of a SUP race. All the 0 to 6 mph paddling creates bubbles in the water which effect the buoyancy of you board. So the nose of your board will start doing things you will have a hard time controlling. It will dive left then right. The further back you are, the worse it is. If you stay to one far side or the other, you will experience side chop (wakes) from the leaders in the middle. The side chop is easier to deal with that the churned up water in the middle. As you get about 1/2 a mile into it, start working your way back in line. I prefer to hang a little off to one side or the other to stay in 'clean water'. Clean water is undisturbed water. Paddle hard my friend. ~~..../......~~~..../......~~..../......~~~~~

[headmount]

You go all out.  The start is super important.  You haul ass for as long as you can and try to hang on.  You speed up as you approach the buoys and try to be strategic on the turn if anyone is around you.  If you are behind after the turn you draft a bit until you see the time to slide past.  Step a little further forward on that Javelin and see how that feels.  Good luck!

I really dig this kind of enthusiasm.  And Talldude's advice about being on the side is really good.  Until you can sprint with the leaders, you'll be falling in their holes if you start near them.  It's really amazing. 

All I might add is warm up a little before the start.  I've seen the best do this and it not only gets your heart up to speed, it'll keep you from tearing any soft tissue at the gun. 

[paolosup]

Great advices everyone! Keep them coming....

[yugi]

Your only regret after the race will be why you didn't go more full throttle. For some odd reason it takes a few races until you really do go "balls to the wall from the gun". So warm up nicely, go as hard as you can and only back off the pace when you begin to get exhausted.