the PMG CanAm CL16 Regatta
 Hilton Beach, August 12-13, 2006
Saturday: Race 2.1
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).

While we were enjoying delicious lunches delivered to us on the water, the wind was gathering strength and by the 1 p.m. start time of race 2, had veered to about ENE from the morning's north-easterly direction. Having no compass, Marc and I used the radio mast on the far shore to try to judge lifts and headers on starboard tack. We suspected the wind might veer further, so our only race strategy was to protect the right side, especially against the top locals like Jim and Kipp who might well know what the wind would do. In keeping with the priority we had placed on being able to go right ...  
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... we (r) started at the RC boat end on a beautifully square line, much to the dismay - we were informed that evening -
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... of Becky Sylvester (2nd from right) whose traditional starting spot we had usurped.
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Despite the fact that Jim Hill seemed to be regularly outpointing us, Marc and I (above) managed to keep him and ...
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... and the rest of the fleet ...
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... just behind us.
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Everyone looks very nicely trimmed here.
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At the first windward mark of a windward-leeward course, Al held a narrow lead over Jim as ...
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... 3854 rounded onto the long run. There had been streaks of better wind pressure on the beat, so our plan was to take advantage of those by sailing high in the lulls and down with the puffs. Strategically, we had decided - before rounding - to defend the left against Jim, so that if we should meet on a collision course, we would have starboard, and ultimately, be inside at the mark.
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The rest of the contenders get set to ...
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... round onto the run.
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Three is in much better shape in this race.
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Charles McLaughlin and Bill Hibbard look good as they start their rounding.
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Starting their run: (l to r) John Kupers, Dave Hansman (main out!!!!), Kipp Sylvester and Mike Codd
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(l to r) John Kupers, Mac Thomas (going left), Eric Kirby, Peter Foster, Charles McLaughlin, Jake Dann, Colin Junkin
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Good downwind form all around, especially for Colin in 929 whose windward heel moves his sails' centre of effort more directly above the boat's centre of resistance.
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It takes mental toughness to overcome the fear that a bunch of boats will pass you to windward, and to resist the temptation to come up to defend your lead against that windward bunch. Full marks to John and Laura Kupers (2136, far left) who are staying out of that mess of boats on the right, boats that will all tend to slow each other down and perhaps worse, work each other up to windward and off the rhumb (straight =  shortest) line to the leeward mark. Colin (929) might be wise to follow John's example: it would indeed be tempting to sail up behind the group to take their wind as Colin seems intent on doing, but after that, he'll just be part of the bunch that are slowed down! In Colin's position, I would take every opportunity (puff) to sail very low (or even gybe away for a bit?), to try and pass the mess to leeward - especially in this configuration where going left early lets you meet them while you're on starboard near the mark, and you will be inside for buoy room.
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Bob Hershey prepares to round ahead of Bob Tisdall(?)
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Becky fights off three close pursuers on the run.
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Marc and Al close in on the leeward mark with a considerably bigger edge over Jim (r) than they had at the start of the leg. Our significant move came about half-way down the run. Jim had been sitting a nerve-wrackingly close two to three boatlengths astern and we were constantly having to guard against his getting on our wind. Finally, I saw an opportunity to make gains as there seemed to be better breeze just off to our left. Don't be greedy is a very valid Stuart Walker maxim, but I was thinking ahead to a long beat, and remembering how Jim and Alice had been just a touch faster than we had been up the the first beat. What we needed was a cushion, so it wasn't really being greedy, I remarked to my crew. He somewhat reluctantly agreed to let me gybe away from Jim. The effect was electric and by the time Jim had seen the wisdom of our ways, we had increased our lead to what you can see above.    for full size pic, click here - use Back button to return to this page
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Jim and Alice (1236) rounded a fairly comfortable second while ...
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... Becky Sylvester had made big gains on the run to slip into 3rd, just ahead of ...
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... this big bunch contesting 4th place.
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Becky (l) is in great shape here as she has Steve Macklin nicely buried where he will have to tack away. Moreover, she seems to have sailed into a lifted streak that Jim (r) has yet to see.

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