The Mississauga SC Wayfarer/CL Regatta
Race 4.1
by Gord Leachman & Alan Hallwood

Seconds after the start: Gary (2679) tacked to port here where he had no rights to, and forced Mark (7673) to foul Al (3854). In less forgiving competition, Gary would have been made to do his Turns. As it was, the ...
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... three of us were off on the favoured port tack, fighting desperately not to lose clear air.
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An error in judgment by the RC, leaving us a line that was uncrossable on starboard. Here, Colin (929) has a nice puff. Meanwhile, the best that can be said for Geoff's (9483) start is that he has clear air.
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Colin and Heather (929) are nicely reducing wetted surface by heeling, which should work when the breeze is this light. Kit (dark hull) looks like he actually can cross on starboard, but I think he is again pinching very hard.
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The three leaders: Gary is in good shape here (though it looks like his main leech is too tight due to vang tension) but must keep his speed up if he sees that Mark (7673) and Al (3854) are gaining by footing off.
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Al (3854) has won the foot race against Mark (7673) who still has yet to tack since the forced tack at the start - not a really square beat, you'd have to say. No offset mark this time, so the good news is that the skewed beat will put some reach into our upcoming very light air "run".
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After the hoist, Al continues to steer with his knees as he tries to fly the chute to which Colin is adding the pole.
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Mark will need to help the boom to go out here, as Paul rushes to get the chute filled.
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A close 3rd for Colin and Heather who have sailed a fine first beat, somehow managing to get past Gary (l). Geoff (r) has underlaid the mark and will need to tack twice more. He will ...
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... round behind Kit. A classic case here of "when in doubt, let it out" for Geoff who is strangling his main way too much, especially here ...
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... where he's well above the mark and could be footing off to start the next leg with some speed!
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While he's got nothing more urgent to do, crew George might push the pole forward, which makes the spi easier to pull around.
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That's  better. Meanwhile Stuart (7660) has the inside track to the mark on Rodrick
(who also looks like he's using vang tension when he shouldn't be!).
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You can see how skewed the "run" is, as the leaders - (l to r) Colin, Mark, Al - approach the closed start/finish area, which will be about the only source of strategic manoeuvering (e.g. if Al decides to pass to windward of it, Mark could try the leeward side, etc.) Otherwise the options are pretty limited by this angle of sail: apart from "up in the lulls, down with the puffs", you pretty much need to stick to the rhumb line - great if you're defending a lead!! Not so good for the others.
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Panoramic view of a drifter.
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Rodrick nurses W3568 around the windward mark.
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(l to r) Colin, Gary, Geoff, Kit
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Al (red spi) has gone down with some puffs and is poised to extend his lead as he heads up towards the leeward mark while ...
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