5,4,1 or 6,3,go

We use a 1 minute (or multiples of 1 minute if something goes wrong) simply because our committee boat team is usually inexperienced. We never have to manipulate 2 flags at the same time (X and 1st Sub are on poles), we have a minute to note OCS and other dettails, check that we are ready with the correct class flag etc. It also means that the line closes for the proceeding fleet 1 minute before the 1 minute gun!

If we had a regular committee boat team we may well do things differently. The competitors do not mind - they are even happy with the practice of not having a defined start order. For regattas we use a separate finish boat and start the classes as soon as they are finished the previous race. We are always in a hurry because we have only a 4 to5 hour tide windw to get racing in. On regatta weekends we manage 3 races per day.

Gordon