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(Original article by Tim McCarty, edited by Bill Pickl)
The Oreo cookie attack, the J-turn, mailman attack, etc. You may have heard these mention pondside, but what do they mean? Below are a few basic strategies if mastered, will let you quickly become a valuable asset to your team.
8.3.1 The Oreo Cookie Attack
It's hard enough to battle one opponent, but two? What do I do if I am the one, the cream filling of the oreo cookie? Let's look from an attacker's viewpoint first. Rookie skippers more often than not attack by themselves. If they do attack with multiple ships, they do so in such a manner (usually in a row) as to let the target defend each as a single ship. Veterans know that you can only effectively fight or defend one ship at a time. That's why the vets use the oreo cookie tactic. One ship is maneuvered onto each side of a target. The slower ship should be on the inside most of the turns. Once your both in position abeam, start blasting! If you match the targets speed, often you can channel them away from their port, to their death. Remember, under the rules they can not make hull contact with you. So the crème's options are only to outrun you or stop. If the ship in the middle starts getting the better of either attacker, back that attacker off, and let the target rotate it's protective to the opposite side. Once he does, move the weakened attacking ship back into position again and get those free shots in! Two smaller ships can often times do in a larger opponent with this tactic.
Now for the flip side - you're the cream. So what'll I do? First judge the skill of the two opponents. If one is having a hard time getting waterline shots on you close on the other ship and pound him till he breaks formation. Do not stop in battle unless you can outgun your attackers. If you are larger than they, just stop and pound on the best skipper's ship first. You can try and turn towards the ship that is between you and the shore line that is the furthest from the attacking skippers often you can make them break formation lest they run aground or at least make it hard for them to target your ship by pulling them over to your side of the pond. You can try to outstop them. If you have better deceleration than your attackers use full reverse and a hard over rudder to really slam on the breaks. Once your bow clears their sterns use full ahead to combined with your hard over rudder to break away from your attackers. If you are injured and heading for port and in a cookie, you're in big trouble. The best you can do is to use the space between the two ships to zig-zag in. Try and time their shots so you quickly change range. If you are at short range to start with a few inches of change at just the right time can make the balls go under your ship.
8.3.2 The J-Turn
This is a simple one on one attack maneuver that works best if you are a bit faster and more maneuverable than your target. You must approach your target from (Continued on page 7)
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