Some sailing tips for Newport, Rhode Island

I claim no responsibility if you read this, sail this way, and get last place.  These are just some tips that I've picked up from different sources for varying winds when sailing in and around Newport, RI.  This is largely taken from Gary Jobson and Tom Widden's book, Championship Tactics. If you haven't read this book, you probably should.  It does a good job of "dumbifying" a lot of sometimes tricky topics. 

Anyways, the typical summer breeze appears to be a Southwesterly thermal.  In general this breeze begins to fill from due south (180), and clocks to as far right as 240-250 through the day.  The moral of the story, go right (except for when the left side is better...duh).  Wouldn't it be nice if it was that easy?  I've read elsewhere that the thermal doesn't really kick up until late morning/early afternoon, and a dying northerly may be experienced before the thermal.  Nonetheless, the typical thermal can get up to about 15-18 knots, so be ready for some hiking by the second race of the day. 

If a front comes through, there is a good chance of getting a northwesterly breeze.  This is an oscillatory breeze between 320 and about 0.  In this breeze, it is best to sail the shifts.  With a mean heading of about 340, you should be sailing on starboard when the wind goes to 0 and port when the wind goes to 320.  So your mean starboard tack will be about 250, mean port will be about 70.  Tack when the starboard number goes down and when the port gets higher.

Every once in a while an easterly will blow through.  When this happens go left.  Not sure why.  Just do it. 

And don't forget about the current and tides!

Remember to take this all with a grain of salt.  I've never actually sailed in Newport.  But I have stayed at a Holiday Inn Express once in my life and I have seen Bob Dylan play at the Newport Folk Festival at Fort Adams if that counts as local knowledge.