|
The 2004
Canadian Wayfarer Nationals |
 |
| The 2004
Nationals finale is about to get underway with ... ... |
 |
| ... no sign of
the 25 knots that will hit us as the race progresses. ... |
 |
| They're off -
from a nicely squared line. Note how Paul Laderoute
(7380) who was nowhere to be seen in the previous photo, has come in at full speed and ... ... |
 |
| ... and has
leapt into the lead, leaving Heider (6) as the meat in
the sandwich between Paul (7380) and Doug Netherton (blue bow to windward of Heider). ... |
 |
| Then again,
Doug (1366) seems to be having his own problems. ... |
 |
| John (3654),
Nick (864) and Kit (1037) all look good off the line
while ... ... |
 |
| ... Dwight
(4606, note the wave action!), Doug (1366) and Hans
(938) have doubtless seen better moments! ... |
 |
| Already the
wind is picking up - only a couple of minutes into the
race. Lots for everyone here! ... |
 |
| Having started
nearer the windward end, Mark (7673), John de Boer and
Al (3854) are having their own close battle. ... |
 |
| Note how Paul
and Alan (off Hans' bow) have eased their well
flattened main to keep the boat flat. Hans, meanwhile, could flatten The Nutshell (you should pardon the expression!) by
|
 |
|
Here,
both Mark (7673) and Al are doing very nicely with
somewhat eased jibs, which will balance the boat
better when the main needs easing for a gust. We
have a pause in the photos here: As I recall, Mark
and Paul (7673) ended up rounding ahead of us with
Roger and Joanne a close 3rd after the wind veered
about 20° and increased to 20 knots or so near the
windward mark. Al and Marc, however, were the only
ones to realize that this shift meant that the run
was now a port tack broad reach. Gybing right at the
mark, Al planed away on port tack and had almost
caught Mark by the time he gybed. Neither boat opted
for the spinnaker since the boats were screaming
towards the leeward gate on a virtually constant
plane.
... |
 |
| Rather than
bother with the extra gybe, the leaders - now Al just
ahead of Roger - go for the easy mark, the left-hand one, as do ... ... |
 |
| ... the Taylor
lads. ... |
 |
| Also enjoying
the spanking breeze were Mike (CAN 90) and Hans. ... |
 |
| Having
clinched
the series, Al and Marc (centre) are in no
hurry to tack and protect their lead over Roger and
Mark who have gone left. I do believe this was the
beat on which Mike and Kirk (l) eventually
sailed past Al on starboard tack about 2/3 up the
beat, before letting Al get by again on a shift. At
the windward mark, it was really exciting as Mark and
Paul came in on the port layline and crossed Al who
was laying the mark on starboard. Unfortunately, their
quick tack to cover Al coincided with the arrival of
level 3 of the day's wind: 25 knots with higher gusts.
The first blast took the Taylors just as they were
completing their tack and had lost momentum. W7673
slowly but surely capsized, as Al scrambled to bear
away around the W7673 mast and main. How strong was
the new wind? Well, Al and Marc didn't even consider
gybing to the favoured port tack and actually
contemplated finishing the run under jib alone.
Eventually, the gust petered out a bit and Al was able
to reasonably safely gybe and plane to a first-place
finish on a two-sail broad reach with Mike Codd and
Kirk Iredale taking a close 2nd. Roger and Joanne
nailed a nice 3rd over John Cawthorne and David
Weatherston, as both boats had their best finish of
the series. Despite feeling unwell, Heider Funck with
Tom Wharton hung in for a 5th, which, combined with
the Taylor DNF in the finale, left these two crews
tied for series 2nd. |
..
|
2004
Canadian Wayfarer Nationals |