Paddle on the same side as the person you are following. When they switch sides, put in one extra stroke and then switch. Different boards/paddlers produce different wake, so the distance you sit off their tail will differ. I also find shifting back an inch or 2 from my usual standing spot helps.

You will have a few hours of practise tomorrow morning Juddy

There will be a few draft trains in tomorrows race Juddy, the front one will be setting a cracking pace but there will be others behind that one.
Go out hard at the start, after a couple of hundred metres when the dust settles try to find someone to draft that is going at a rate that you can maintain.

If you find yourself in a train of a few paddlers you might have to share the work.
Try to stay very close to the tail of the board in front of you without bumping it, it's a skill that takes bit of practise but as Maxeeboy said you will get that opportunity tomorrow.
Occasionaly on buoy turns etc you may drop off the tail of the board you are following, dig deep, paddle hard and get back into the drafting position, it will be worth it.

Spewing I am going to miss this race.

If there is an ace in front of you, no wake to draft. Square tails are the go.
great advice tightlines, go hard early & get on a manageable train.

Maxeeboy said..
If there is an ace in front of you, no wake to draft. Square tails are the go.
great advice tightlines, go hard early & get on a manageable train.

It's funny, I find Aces good to draft. They seem to have a stern wave about a third of a board length back which makes life much easier. Drafting an ACE in the normal close tail to nose certainly doesn't work as well.

Nope, it was a 2012 Ace Pro.

I learnt plenty about drafting....it's one thing to set the pace, it's another to keep up. From what I experienced, there's more of a benefit to drafting behind a board with a square tail/stern/rear.

My only consolation from Sunday's event is that I now have a time to beat for 2016. Or I need to nobble some seriously better competitors....

Yes you do.....