Just a couple of seconds to go til the final, deciding race gets underway for the Rebels: Jack and Karen Sanderson have 4193 nicely positioned for a boat end start - not all of us would have the nerve to let go of the tiller in such a tense situation as this!! Brian Main and Mike Wolf have 4160 well placed to start at full speed at the pin end. Other boats visible in the front row between Jack and Brian are (l to r) Uncle Al (light blue hull), Frank Goulay (dark blue, white stripe) and Jeff Hoover.

The gun goes and they're off!! The Sandersons did indeed get off to a fine start to leeward and ahead of Scott Wright and Cameron Dowling who took advantage of an opening left right at the RC boat and will be in fine shape if Scott sits out to flatten his boat and if starboard tack gets lifted...

... as it does seconds later. Things are not looking so hot for Neil Robb who has had to bail out and is now crossing behind the fleet on a header in disturbed air and chopped up water. Would this be a good time to remind everyone that Neil and Jeff won this race? Of course, starting like this is not a pre-requisite for winning!!! Looking good in the front row meanwhile are (l to r) Brian Main (on a header near the pin), Dan Hockenberry, Jeff Hoover (4128) and then Uncle Al in 4069 who has left himself in the always desirable start line position of having created a "hole" to leeward into which he can foot for more speed should the need arise. No such luxury for Jack Sanderson who is already in danger of falling into Al's backwind, while Scott Wright has lots of room to windward of Jack. Alas, things look less than promising for Frank (3923) and Larry (4191) who will soon have to follow Neil's lead and tack out into the lake to clear their air.

Reflecting the strategic moves outlined above, two of the more experienced Clark Lake sailors, Larry Schmida (4191) and Al Vorel (3914) grimly hold starboard tack despite being knocked so badly they appear to be sailing back to the club for another cup of coffee. Frank Goulay (3923) meanwhile decided to clear his air and began to get a big port tack knock which allowed him to tack back to starboard and sail up the middle middle of the lake in a fine lift. He and John were looking pretty good until Frank was made nervous by so many boats holding starboard tack and appearing to leave mark 6 to starboard. Frank was 99% sure that #6 had not been at the start of the course board but that 1% finally got the better of Frank who reached back down on starboard to round #6 and - not surprisingly - never recovered.

The final Wayfarer start: Hubert and Joe and Black Magic (W3636) make no mistake about this one as they get off to a fine boat end start. A late-life masochistic streak seems to manifest itself in Hubert who - if you look closely - you will see is using the transom only mainsheet system that was standard on W's in the late 1950's. Mike Codd in CAN 80 is also off to a good start while Bob Frick (3975) appears to have a knock but it's hard to be sure what with his main being either undersheeted or undervanged or both.