the PMG CanAm CL16 Regatta
Hilton Beach, August 12-13, 2006
Sunday: the Hilton Beach Cup - 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).



After a short period of calm the southerly breeze has arrived and is being enjoyed above by Charles McLaughlin and Bill Hibbard. It looks like we are all set to have perfect winds for the grand finale, the race for the Hilton Beach Cup.
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John Hershey and Tom Godfrey (6738) check out the start line with about three minutes left in the countdown.
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Just under two minutes to go. Everything looked set. The oscillating breeze was favouring the RC boat end and the three boats on the right above - Mike Codd (628), Mac Thomas (1142) and Uncle Al - seemed well placed for a good start. But suddenly, the wind died completely, and many of us were left virtually without steerage. From our boat, Marc and I watched helplessly as a new wind became visible, angling in off the shore from the left end towards the pin end of our start line. The new wind was approaching us oh so slowly, and only two boats were near that pin end! First, Colin Junkin and Heather Wood could be seen to suddenly heel, hike out, and roar off in a cloud of spray towards the left side of the first leg which was still a beat. Jake and Jesse Dann were the next to go flying off into the wind, while the rest of us sat virtually becalmed, edging our way towards the wind where possible. Eventually, we all got the wind, but by then, Colin and Jake were long gone. Luckily for us, but unfortunately for Jake and Colin, this new wind, robust as it first was, also contained numerous "holes".  
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Peter Foster (r) and John Hershey get some wind at last.
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John and Laura get a nice port-tack lift near the windward mark.
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Kipp (r) gets a big knock and tacks to starboard and into the lead. Steve (2nd from right) has also reached the port knock, while Mike (3rd from right) and early leader, Colin (4th from right) continue to sail a breezy port lift straight at the windward mark, as are Three (l) and Jim (2nd from left). A mercifully anonymous starboard tacker is sailing away from the mark. Tsk! Tsk!
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Ah! The fun of approaching a windward mark near the shore. Note how Kipp (r) and Jake (l), the other early leader, are sailing in close to the same direction but on opposite tacks.  Mike (standing in his boat) has just tacked, thinking the port tack lift will prevail, as did Marc and I who were up there somewhere off Colin's bow (partially obscured by Mike). Amazingly, Steve and Andrew Macklin (2nd from left) will emerge a short time later with ...
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... the lead at the windward mark, and with John and Kipp (l) close astern.
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The leaders work hard to ...
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... make the most of a lovely puff while ...
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... it lasts!
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And they're off onto the first reach of our triangle course.
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John and Laura rounded 2nd before Marc and Al came in on port and ...
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... tacked into a nice lee bow position to leeward and ahead of Kipp.
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Of course, if he can't lay the mark, Al will have to wait ...
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... for Kipp to pass before he can tack.
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But Lady Luck smiled on Al who ...
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... rounded in 3rd place, and now set off in pursuit of ...
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... the leaders, Steve and John (2136). Note that with the wind in its starboard-favoured oscillation, the reach is now so broad that we can wing our jibs.
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Also still very much in the hunt are Mike Codd (628), Colin and Andrew (l).
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Steve (523) and John (2136) have found a nice wind streak. Steve once more showed exceptional downwind speed as he began to pull away from the rest of us. On the far right, we can see Al who has just gybed towards a wind streak on the inside of the triangle. By the time Al realized there would be no streak, and that the best winds would be closer to shore, two or three boats had passed him. With veteran savvy, however, Marc and Al cut their losses and gybed back. At least, we consoled ourselves, we'll be inside at the gybe mark!
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Near the gybe mark, it was Steve and Andrew still ...
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... increasing their lead.
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Gybe ho!!
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