A big starboard knock shortly thereafter, lets Roger tack and still nearly lay #6, only now, he's on port. But what is really striking about this panoramic view is how well it illustrates a crucial lesson in race strategy: If you look at the full-sized image here, you can just see Jens (just off Roger's bow) sailing away on starboard tack towards the left corner. Meanwhile, out of sight on the right, are mark #6 and Jens' only two serious challengers on this beat, Al and Dwight, going along the east shore. The potential for gain or loss on a beat is directly proportional to the degree of lateral separation, i.e. when boats are this far apart across the course, there is immense potential for loss or gain in even a wind shift of only 5 or 10°. In most cases, lateral separation is the only hope for a boat with a lot of distance to make up. Therefore, a boat with a comfortable lead and speed second to none, such as Jens had early on this leg, needs to make sure the nearest pursuers don't achieve significant lateral separation. If he wants to keep his lead, the leader needs to be conservative and avoid any unnecessary gambles, and Jens is certainly not doing that here. Never mind that he got away with it. It was still a needlessly risky strategy. Let me just point out, that Jens did sail his boat very well but not as cautiously as he might/should have, given the circumstances. It would have been a shame for him to throw all that speed and good sailing away if the shift gods had deserted him.