2003 June Bug Regatta
Sunday: Race 3, part 2
photos by Joanna & Al Schonborn
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Bob (3571) holds port tack until he can ...
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... tack to starboard in nicely clear air - and more wind than ...
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... Jens (r) and Len (6732) seem to be getting nearer the far shore. Jens, in fact, appears to have reached a big dead spot near the far shore and ends up having to ...
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... bail out and go behind Len (6732).
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A classic small-lakes situation as Bob (3571) and Jens (7663) converge on opposite tacks at well less than 90 degrees.
Whose shift will hold?? That is the question! If Len were all-knowing and had the benefit of hindsight, he would tack now, even though he's on a lifted tack because the middle of the lake has more wind. If Len tacked now, it wouldn't be too painful, but as he waits longer, it becomes tougher and tougher to "bite the bullet".
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Now Len finally has more wind and it's really too late to tack. In this situation, I would be saying to myself: "Might as well hang on and pray for a knock." A glance at how high Len is still pointing, should make Bob (3571) feel optimistic about holding his lift and ...
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... crossing Jens (7663).
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Amazingly, Jens continues lifted on port tack in his very own slant of wind which holds ...
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... even through his tack, after which he is now pointing far lower than Bob for the moment. Having sailed into another far shore dead spot, Len finally tacks. This photo graphically demonstrates the dangers of sailing closehauled parallel to and too near a shore which will either have the wind lift up and over the lee shore (above) or be blocked by a windward shore.
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While Len (6732) struggles to escape the doldrums, Jens (7663) finally gets the nice breeze that Bob (3571) has been enjoying for some time. What Bob will be looking for now, is a knock so that he can ...
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... tack and comfortably confirm his lead. Note that Len has tacked into the same port tack lift and now looks better.
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Bob Kennedy and Ravi Gupta (3571) roll into the windward mark with a lovely lift and a nice lead just as ...
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... the multihulls are off for their start.
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A nice, quick spi set for Bob and Ravi was very necessary since...
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... Jens and Sharon (7663) are already around and in close pursuit!
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Jens (7663) and Steve (156896) bring up a puff from astern and ...
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... makes things hotter for the leaders. At this point, Bob might be wise to luff up and encourage the two pursuers to dive down below him. If he waits until the pursuers are overlapped, it's really too late since (a) he can't make them dive down to leeward anymore, and (b) Rule 16.1 severely limits his course alterations during any luffing match.
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Now it's too late to go up much and Bob should cut his losses ...
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... by going lower or lower enough so that at least Jens (7663) won't take his wind.
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June Bug 2003
results
report
Sunday - Race 1, part 1
Sunday - Race 1, part 2
Sunday - Race 1, part 3
Sunday - Race 1, part 4
Sunday - Race 2, part 1
Sunday - Race 2, part 2
Sunday - Race 2, part 3
Sunday - Race 2, part 4
Sunday - Race 2, part 5
Sunday - Race 3, part 1
Sunday - Race 3, part 2
Sunday - Race 3, part 3
misc. & awards

great June Bug pics also available
in Ravi Gupta's Album