Race Start Tips

Had the 1st of the sydney races today, huge numbers!!!, awesome conditions, nice work DY, anyway I had a forearm blow up after foolishly following TJ off the line for first couple of kms, I am a mid packer, and blew up in forearms. I was probably holding the paddle a bit hard and not getting much leg drive due to slightly messy conditions. Anyway, I've ben training well and staying with some good guys on flat water over winter, however training has involved long warm ins, just need to get on the ocean and work on starts. Can anyone suggest some training drills to get initial speed and then settle without blowing up?

You are pretty much racing somewhere around your anaerobic threshold.

If you know what heart rate that is, then warm up to but not over that pace for a few minutes not long before the race.
Let the rate build slowly during this time so you don't go over while your heart rate catches up.

Not only will you have got all the action happening for the aerobic system, but will also then have a feel of the pace you need to go.

My best advice is; go hard as you like for 10 to 15 seconds, after that, settle into your own pace unless there is a tactical advantage to be gained by going over threshold for a few minutes. But no more than a few minutes or you WILL pay for it later.

If you have warmed up as I say, your heart rate will come up quickly at race start and show now no initial lag that will lull you into going harder than you should.

You won't win a race at the start, but you can certainly loose it if you go too hard.

How long are the races?

I don't think exercises will change the fact that if you try to paddle with one of the best paddlers in the world in technical conditions you're going to fatique somewhere.
At the start of races the best paddlers hunt in packs. They go like the clappers, then settle into groups that pull each other along. The flatter the conditions the longer they stay together.
You need to be more realistic whose tail you jump onto. I suspect your issue is more of a race plan/technique issue than a fitness problem.

In hindsight, you're right, paddling along side Tim was a rockie error, however my arms tricked me into thinking it was a good idea until about 3km into a 15km race my forearms exploded.

I am still looking for ways to go faster off the line so I can get into faster packs, I am going to try allocating a session a week to getting starts right. Maybe 10 minute intervals that start hard and then settle?

The only way you can hang with the lead pack is to belong there.
Being able to go hard for a few minutes won't let you hang with them.........

Start with a submersed blade, half way thru the stroke so when the gun goes you just "finish" the stroke and break the surface tension allowing your first full stroke to be completly effective