Traditionally at the PNMYC annual meeting the current National Champion  
shares his advice, strategy, and insight  that led to a winning regatta. 
At the 2018 meeting, Peter Conze offered this advice:
.
First, you have to sail your boat frequently to ensure that it performs properly 
and does not break down. My very first outing was the Nationals in 2016, and 
I missed half of the races due to problems mostly related to my sheets.  
My unconventional rigging elements were the reason for the breakdowns.
Consequently, I finished last, despite sailing problem-free for an hour and a
half the day before. Therefore, even a long prep sail may not expose
weaknesses in your boat--but sailing with the group as much as you can will.
So come out sailing!
.
Make sure that your throw-outs count. 
Discards allow you to absorb tangles with other boats, being over early, 
missing marks that lose you numerous places, and of course snagging
the dreaded weeds which can take you out of a race entirely. 
If you have issues with your boat and miss a few races, and then all these
other things happen too, your scores will suffer. 
Fortunately, in the 2017 Nationals, I did not have any boat problems, but 
I did get called back once, and I did get a lot of weeds, which took me out 
of a race, and lost me places in others. So, I did manage to get into trouble 
here and there, but my throw-outs alleviated the damage.

Overall I was cautious, strategically, meaning that when necessary 
I sailed wide around pile ups and was not aggressive at the marks. 
My plan was to stay clear of other boats in general and not be greedy at 
the start. 
Typically I use a dinghy type start, where I am in position at the committee boat 
side just ahead of others and I try to sit and hold a pocket that I can accelerate into.
This is risky because someone can come in below you and then you can’t
control your speed and you may even get pushed over the line. 
So, for the Nationals, I chose to go for the preferred side of the line but not 
necessarily win the start.  To do that, I set up to either lead or follow groups of 
boats into the start. At about 30 seconds to go, I would be outside the committee 
boat end and a bit to windward. 
I would watch for the position of the bulk of the boats coming in, and often I 
would lead the last group in to the line, ensuring that I had room to speed up 
down the line just before the gun. This is a simple strategy and it paid off with 
good starts that kept me in clear air. 
When boats are close together they can slow each other down in general, and 
definitely at the committee boat, so coming out fast to leeward but still on 
the favored side will keep you right in the race and give you the opportunity 
to win the race on the course, rather than gambling with your start. 
If you can punch out a bit at the start, having ceded the windward-most 
position, I have found that you can get to the next shift faster, and by the
time you are on port tack you are in a controlling position.
.
Finally, there is the issue of speed. 
A lot of my thought is going into rudders right now and I have loaned my 
winning rudder to the group. There is nothing special about this rudder, 
I believe that it is the current shape provided in the kits. I believe that 
at 1/4 inch it is a bit thick, but it is good overall, particularly upwind. 
I think that the overall size of the rudder can’t be too much smaller,
because I tried a smaller one and it seemed to stall easily. I believe the best
rudder should be thinner than 1/4 inch—even close to 1/8”. I think this
especially helps off the wind.
I have really focused on my sail plan and on incorporating reliable and easy to
use sail controls that allow for very small changes. I have not used the velcro
set up. Especially with the jib, I feel it is important to let the tack and head
rotate as much as possible, so that the biggest foil shape can be generated.
Some experimentation with your lines can help in this area. I use a topping lift
for my jib boom to open up my slot in the mid to upper areas, mostly for light
to medium air, and I believe that this function is important to use. 
Lastly, I would say that you should sail with more draft in your sails than you 
might think. Deeper draft helps for acceleration and power, so more is better 
than less, even in smooth water. 
Also, I would encourage sailors to focus on a go-to set up that is good for most 
situations. The more I sail, the less I mess around with my settings, as wind 
pressures are rarely consistent.
.
I hope to see you out sailing soon,