| the 2007 Tim Dowling
Memorial Regatta Clark Lake YC * September 22-23 Saturday racing pics by Mike Smith - 2 ... |
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| The gun goes and Gail is
off to
... ... |
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| ... a nice safe leeward
start
with R
Rogers (76742) and Don Jones (8) in close pursuit. .. |
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| Not a promising start for
the
eventual series winner, Matt Heywood (79306) or for Ryan Mabie (80024) who is getting a fine cross-section of dirt from a variety of sources. ... |
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| Soon, the Interlakes come
at the
RC raft from the west. - for full-size
pic, click here ... |
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Having beat up around #5
(across from Eagle Point), and then sailed two
more beats (of sorts) to #1 and then #2, we then had a
long, long
(mostly) downwind leg to mark #3 near the east end of
the lake. There,
we would gybe to another broad reach that would take us
diagonally
across the lake to #4 where we would start a beat back
to start/finish
line. - for
full-size pic, click here
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The Committee gets a
fine view
as the leading Interlakes carry a puff towards their
raft. Judging by
apparent mast height, 1340 (Steve
Savage and Jamie Jones) appears to be slightly ahead of
909 (Tom
Marriott and Mike Judd), while Brooke
Smith (1380) and Steve Aspery (2nd
from left) are still well in the hunt.
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Yup. As they pass the RC
boat,
it's Steve leading Tom by a nose. Though Tom is
tactically well placed:
if he can hold his overlap, he'll have room at the mark
and be well
placed to take Steve's wind as the boats gybe towards
#4. Even here,
far from marks 3 and 4, it pays to plan ahead with a
view to having
that all-important inside position at #4: whoever has
it, will get to
set the pace for the short (half a mile?), mostly
starboard-tack, beat
to the finish. Admittedly, lots of weird things can
happen on small
lakes, but your odds of being lucky are definitely
better if you get
there on the inside and can have first dibs at the best
choices.
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| Our safety boat? trawling
for
mariners in distress? .. |
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| Brooke and Colleen look
good as
they motor past the RC boat, as do ... .. |
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| ... (l to r) Steve,
Claire and David. .. |
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| Craig
Spear and Joe Schardt have the venerable 161 and her
wooden mast well
placed as they continue to lead perennial Clark Lake
Regatta
contenders, Bob Bradley (1332) and Tim Marriott (1268)
-
for full-size pic, click here .. |
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| A dead spot has Andy
Nixon and Kristen Petro eyeing their chute with some
concern. .. |
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| No such worries for Bob
Bradley! .. |
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| Fast reaction time for Tim
Marriott and his crew, David Branson, as the wind suddenly
veers and the spinnaker run becomes much more of a ... .. |
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| ... reach. The Interlake
spinnakers were indeed a lovely sight on this fine, warm
late-September
afternoon. .. |
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| Well ... most of them.
Clark
Lake's Mike Sharkey lets ... .. |
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| ... his crew ... .. |
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| ... get some valuable
on-the-job
training. Here, Mike stoically concentrates on sailing his
course while foredeck man, Felix, and Tim, the halyard man confer. .. |
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| Looking on the bright side,
they
still haven't sailed over their chute - something I did on my first Lightning spi hoist in Toronto Harbour in 1958. .. |
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| And who wouldn't love a
boat
named GRINNIN GREGGER??!! Though I suspect that even Gregger's big grin may be a tad forced at this point in time!! .. |
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| Spinnaker veterans, Joe
DeBrincat and Brian Johnson ... .. |
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| ... on the other hand, have
no
such problems as they run down with a lovely little gust. |