Twice a year, Key West becomes the mecca for watercraft racing, with the crews of powerboats and sailing yachts annually making the trip to the island.

With the completely different types of boats and viewing accessibility, it might be difficult for fans to consider the races to be the similar in any aspect. However, in both events, it comes down to a combination of power and control, which in the end will determine the teams that leave with the hardware.

It is easy to see the finesse in sailing. Tacking back and forth upwind, as the crew uses its balance to keep the boat at the perfect angle, so it not only slices through the water, but also at the perfect degree into the wind. It can truly be a work of art for a team that is in complete unison.

On the other hand, it might be tough to imagine power being represented in the sailboats that are racing this week. In no way at all will one of the yachts ever come close to the triple-digit speeds that we get to see at the end of the year. However, upon a closer look, it is truly a quite amazing thing to watch a team harness the power of the wind to propel itself though crowded waters. When the giant spinnakers are hauled out by the crews, to be used as the boats are racing upwind, all the while, hoping to gain an advantage on the competition that is using the same exact force as every squad on the course, it can be awe inspiring. It is a power that must be harnessed, and certainly perfected, in order to become the best in the sport.

The exact opposite can be thought of when it comes to the powerboats.

The pure speed and power can easily be seen, as the high-speed crafts rumble by rattling the fans' bones and leaving a mist of spray behind. There's no doubt about the work that goes into making the engines world class machines.

Yet, likewise to sailing, it is the other side of the powerboat world that often wins the races, as finesse plays a major part in which team takes the checkered flag. With the sheer speed of the vessels often leaving spectators with their jaws dropped, it might be difficult to believe that the control can make or break a championship. It is not unusual for the team that can best handle the turns of the course to also be the squad that will often run the race in the clean waters of first place.

OK, so maybe they seem worlds apart, but when it comes down to it, whether on powerboats or sailboats, that same basic rules of racing still come to the forefront, as the team that can best harness its power combined with the complete control will often race to the front of the pack.

Staff Writer J.W. Cooke's Home Field Advantage column appears exclusively each Wednesday in The Citizen. He can be reached at 305-292-7777, Ext. 261, or at jwcooke@keysnews.com.