How can you tell if two sailboats are racing?

[Urban Hermit]

They're in sight of each other and going roughly the same direction.

[Jim in TC]

My sailing dictionary defines racing as a "popular nautical contact sport."

[soilgod]

yes Urban, any 2 sailboats in close proximity are racing.  And both are commenting on the others sail trim.  The winner is the craft that gets upwind and blankets the wind of the loser.  Time to pop a cold one.  LOL

[Urban Hermit]

My sailing dictionary defines racing as a "popular nautical contact sport."

<chuckle>

[Urban Hermit]

yes Urban, any 2 sailboats in close proximity are racing.  And both are commenting on the others sail trim.  The winner is the craft that gets upwind and blankets the wind of the loser.  Time to pop a cold one.  LOL

<another chuckle>  Definitely commenting on the other's sail trim.

[Jim in TC]

The winner is the craft that gets upwind and blankets the wind of the loser.  Time to pop a cold one.  LOL

Back in the day, at summer camp (as boating director, not camper) we staff would take the Sunfish out and the team that could slip so close as to flip the other's rudder up was de facto winner...