the PMG CanAm CL16
Regatta Hilton Beach, August 12-13, 2006 Saturday: Race 1.2 photos by Jake Cormier (commentary by Uncle Al) 2006 CanAm Photography is available to purchase! Please note image numbers, then contact jake@hiltonbeach.com to order digital versions ($20 each) or professionally printed 8x10s ($35 each, includes postage). |
As I often tell Marc
in unpleasant situations: "Still and all, I'd rather be
here than there!" for full size pic, click here - use Back button to return to this page ... |
Note
that we have only a slight angle of heel now that we
have actual air (and boat) movement. Our weight is
still well forward - where it should be in a drifter:
Marc is forward of the shroud and lifting the jib clew
so that cloth weight does not destroy sail shape. This
is ...
... |
... not a
comfortable position for the crew and he is happy to
abandon it the moment we get our finish beep. This
shot nicely shows the room gained by aft bench
removal, plus our body positioning well forward for
the drifter conditions. In this nothing breeze it was
truly a bonus to have such a light, easy-running
(3/16") mainsheet and its small, light Harken bullet
blocks. Note also how nicely vertical our rudder blade
is: doesn't matter much at this speed but helm feel is
vastly magnified as soon as the boat speeds up a bit
if the rudder is angled even 5 or 10° aft.
... |
As soon as we cleared
the finish line, I flopped overboard for the refreshing
dip I had much anticipated down the whole run. The water
was just perfect: crystal clear and coolly refreshing
without being cold. ... |
While Peter
Welles quickly changes from "on the water" to "in the
water" interview mode for the listeners on shore, Al
answers some questions while holding the two boats
apart. Marc stands by in a wind that is so light he
doesn't even need to be near the tiller or fend off or
anything.
... |
You may well
wonder what the heck this picture is doing here. Well,
there is a connection to the two photos
immediately preceding: After my swim to cool off, I
found it embarrassingly difficult to climb back into
the boat and I was reminded of this neat little
boarding ladder that I saw at our 2006 Wayfarer
camping/cruising week in the Thousand Islands just
before the CanAm. If re-entry problems are keeping you
from swimming off your CL, you might wish to invest in
something like this.
... |
Or this cheaper,
easily stowed, nicely adjustable, alternative solution
created by Wisconsin's Chuck Jordan (above). ... |
Mike Codd and Kirk
Iredale and their ragged, clapped out cottage sails
gurgle towards an impressive 2nd. for full size pic, click here - use Back button to return to this page ... |
Note how their weight
is also well forward, and how Kirk is taking weight off
the jib leech. ... |
An exuberant Becky
Sylvester is about to cross in 3rd place. Note how she
and Kim Wood are also sitting ... ... |
... well forward and have heeled the boat to
reduce wetted area. ... |
A very happy team! Not
to be a wet blanket or anything, but that rudder would
work better with the blade down to vertical in any kind
of breeze!! ... |
In a very close
finish, Kipp and Anne Sylvester take 4th ahead of Jim
and Alice Hill, who ... ... |
... in turn, just beat
out Steve and Andrew Macklin. ... |
7th place will go to
Andrew Haill and Dave Hansman who hang on to edge out
... ... |
... Jake and Jesse
Dann (1143). Close astern of the Danns are ... ... |
... Mac and Nick
Thomas (1142) who hold on to beat Charles McLaughlin and
Bill Hibbard for 9th. ... |
Good trim - weight
forward, slight heel - for ... ... |
... Colin Junkin and
Heather Wood as they cross 11th. ... |
A photo finish as John
and Laura Kupers (2136) just nose out Tony and Stu Cond
for 12th place. ... |
Bob and Jeff Tisdall
are about to ... ... |
... hang onto 14th by the skin of their
teeth, ahead of ... ... |
... Peter and Peggy
Foster (1979). ... |
John Hershey with Tom
Godfrey (6738) follow in a close 16th. Note: Once you can wing the jib, the main
should be out to the shrouds, as is very nicely
demonstrated by ... ... |
... Eric Kirby (who
took 17th with Gary Gjos). ... |
A frustrated-looking Three Gawthrop with Craig Bouck (l) rounded out the race 1 proceedings. |
next return to CanAm 2006 index |