Leg 4: Go for the Pass
We both had good sets. The breeze was pretty puffy, but still 15 to 18 knots. We hung on their stern for a while, trying really hard not get above their line and into their weather stern wake. But they slowly extended, as often happens, and as we got down the leg our options started to run out: we could’ve jibed away, hoping for a favorable split, but I had a feeling the right corner was going to pay, as it had most of the regatta.

As we closed in on the final layline, we snagged a puff and slid below B-Lin’s line, which put us into a position where they couldn’t jibe. In one instant we went from losing to winning.

“This is looking better.”

We used the boats ahead to call a good layline to the finish, which was now half a mile away. Just one more jibe to execute.

I could tell Alesandro was nervous, but he kept his wits through the jibe, and we were right back onto a plane. B-Lin had to wait until we jibed, and when they did, we had them in our bad air. We sailed through the finish line and exchanged high-fives all around. “Wow, that was pretty lucky,” I thought. 

“But on the other hand, we never gave up, and we used the good fortune that came our way!”

Pro Tips
> Know the scores going into the last race, and have a good handle on the combinations that you need.
> Stay calm, even when things don’t seem to be going well.
> Keep trying to do the smart, rational thing. Don’t take a wild, low-percentage move unless you’re totally out of options.
> Try to stay in phase, even when you’re match racing another boat.
> Recognize that sometimes you get lucky, but often more luck comes to those who do the above things well.