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The
Wayfarer Midwinters of 2005 |
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Peter Rahn (W93) uses
the head-to-wind method of checking for a favoured
end to the start
line, while ... |
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... Al (W3854) stands
in SHADES to try and see which side of the
course may have more
wind. Both he and Marc agree that the right side
of the first beat
seems to be getting more wind and should be
defended against the most
feared competition. ... |
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Jim Lingeman (W2136)
wisely steers clear of the crowd milling around
early in the countdown. |
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Only the Wayfarer Class
flag remains up on the RC boat, meaning we're in the
final minute of
our countdown. |
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The current oscillation
in the NE wind is favouring the windward end of the
line (near the RC
boat), something ... |
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... the Fleet is not
slow to pick up on, as the crowd thickens ... |
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...
at the windward
end. Keep your eye on Richard (10139) and Al (3854)
who will do the
best job of balancing: being to windward but not so
far the any leeward
boat can easily cut them off before they reach the
RC boat, the buoy
room rule being inapplicable at a start mark
(normally). ... |
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Mike
Murto (r)
is making life a bit tougher for Peter Hylen (2198)
here as Mike -
quite legally - tacks off Peter's bow. The problem
with Morris' (10245)
approach here, is that by coming in from so far to
windward, he will
need a lot of luck and screw-ups by other boats, if
he's to find a hole
beside the RC boat. Otherwise he'll have to bail out
by tacking or
gybing away, or wait there, luffing his sails, until
the mess clears.
The latter is not such a bad move, if he wants to
tack right after
starting and hit the right side of the beat like
Uncle Al intends to do. ... |
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The Wayfarer Class flag
is still up, and it appears that Free Range
Chick'n (W10139) is
the proverbial "early bird", but ... |
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... Richard and Michele
will get no "worm", just two horns and the X-flag as
"over early"
starters, while ... |
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... Al has exactly the
position he wants. Even Richard's (10139) backwind
won't bother him,
since the 3854 race plan ... |
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... calls for an
immediate tack to the right which we still think has
more wind. |
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While Richard unhappily
returns to re-start, only Gale Shoemaker (4106)
among the other top
seeds has the freedom to tack - Peter (93) and Nick
(to leeward of
Gale) are both pinned for the time being, as ... |
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...
Marc and Al romp
off alone towards the right. There is risk in this
strategy of going
off to sail one's own race but the oscillating winds
normally almost
require such a strategy as each boat should play the
shifts and puffs
as it gets them, rather than letting covering
considerations dictate
how the shifts are played so early in the race.
Besides, the wind has
now backed and favours port tack for the moment. ... |
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Good news for Marc and
Al: the "club rabbit", Gale Shoemaker (4106) has
tacked to port and is
coming with us. We have great faith in Gale's local
knowledge and
strategic abilities, and it's good to know that Gale
seems to agree
with what we are doing. ... |
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Better yet! Nick (864)
and Peter (93) have also tacked. |
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Bob Frick (l)
and Peter Every move Black Magic and her
ancient sails along
nicely on starboard, crossing ... |
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...
Richard who has
duly re-started. Letting the boat heel like this,
early in a puff, is
OK - especially in flat water - since this gains
windward distance, as
long as you give in to the boat's desire to luff up
for only a second
or two. But before the boat can slow down
appreciably, you want to bear
away back to closehauled (but no further!!), easing
the main as needed
to keep the boat (fairly) flat. If you see an
overpowering puff coming
and it seems to have some duration indicated, it is
good to prepare for
the event by being ready to put on lots of vang -
something Richard has
not done here from the look of his boom (straight)
and main leech
(falling off). ... |
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Near the windward mark:
Al (3854) has continued to defend the right side and
is pretty close to
the layline here. |
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Gale
Shoemaker (4106)
continues to hang in there, also. But notice the
textbook leech on
3854, while the 4106 leech is preventing optimal
pointing by being a
bit too loose and falling off at the top. Looser
sheeting may be
necessary in disturbed air, but (judging by relative
mast length) Gale
is too far astern of Al to need to worry about
backwind. ... |
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Fine upwind form here
for both Peter and ... |
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... Nick. |
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The three leaders have
- as they are supposed to - underlaid the windward
mark and |
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... between his closest
pursuers and the mark. A bit more mast bend
(sheeting in more, vang?)
would make ... |
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... Mike McNamara
happier with the main he made for W864, I'm sure. |
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... Al (3854) follows
suit, and then Nick. |
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Also near the windward
mark: Sam Montondo (r) and Robert Hart (green
hull) are |
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All weekend long, there
seemed to be a starboard-tack lift near the windward
mark, |
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... round without the
need for two more tacks. Note the eased main and
slight heel to
windward that |
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Well, easing the main
to help bear away is one thing, but isn't ... |
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... this
overdoing things just a bit??!! |
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Even
good sailors have
screw-ups - the thing that sets them apart is that
they keep them as
short and infrequent as possible, and thus minimize
the damage. And remember,
appearances can be deceiving: even the grossly
luffing main in the
previous picture does less damage than a similarly overtrimmed
sail! |
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2005
W
Midwinters |