... made Al fall right down into Jim Heffernan's (r) backwind. So, Al tacks again, as soon as he is clear of Butch's backwind. Note that Tony has been too quick to sheet the jib in which among other things created backwind in the still undersheeted main. Fast learner that he is, Tony soon got the hang of this early undersheeting business.

a correction from Richard Watterson who did not, as Al had assumed, hit this mark - see next few photos:
----- Original Message -----

From: richard watterson

To: al schonborn

Sent: Thursday, March 03, 2011 5:59 PM

You are doing a fine job on the captions!  One correction though,  on page 2.1 you indicate that I have hit the mark and am doing a 360.  That isn't the case.  I had stayed on the left of the course the whole beat and was approaching the mark on port.  Diane and I were celebrating our great luck at being near the lead a little too early because there was no place for us to enter the parade of starboard boats at the mark.  I could see no alternative to a gybe before the mark because I could see no way to bear away enough to duck the transoms of the starboards.  I went around once and still there was no space so I went around again.  If only I had touched the mark and could have done one turn and proceeded to the offset.  In retrospect I should have seen the problem earlier and bore away.  The other thing was that this being the first race and Diane and I without much experience together I just didn't have any confidence in being able to tack into the line without interfering.  It was a learning experience!

This brings up a question; could I have hit the leeward side of the mark done a turn and then proceeded to the offset thus never passing the windward side of the mark?  It doesn't seem likely. 

The fight for 2nd: (l to r) Butch, Richard W, Jim H. What could Richard have done here, with the mark rounding fast approaching? Looking ahead, Richard could have begun to heel his boat and pinch a few moments before this picture was taken. At this point, he very likely cannot tack without colliding with Butch. A lot depends on whether Butch can lay this mark without putting in another tack. If he can, then it's worth Richard's while to try "shooting the mark" (see Al in the previous pic) - floor it at full speed closehauled and a boatlength or two from the mark luff up nearly head to wind, having first warned the crew to release the jib sheet at this point until asked to sheet in again. As long as Richard gets around without actually tacking (going beyond head to wind) Butch has to keep clear. And if Richard at least hits the windward half of the mark, all he'll have to do is the one penalty turn for touching the mark.

... have to tack as he is doing here. If Richard has slowed down by luffing head to wind but can't quite lay the mark, he can now tack into that space between Butch and the mark. In that case, Butch is now blocked from tacking back to starboard until Richard chooses to do his tack around the mark. It would of course be possible that ...

... i.e. the starboard boat 10139. But it would be too late for Butch to expect Richard W. to give such room since rule 20 expects the hail to be made in good time so that the hailed boat can respond in a seamanlike manner, i.e. here Butch would have had to give Richard W. time to warn his crew of the impending tack before Mr. W. would have had to tack  By this time Butch would have pronged the Chick'n 10139, so that Butch only real option would have been to bear away astern of 10139 before tacking for the mark. Meanwhile Richard W. could have (fairly) peacefully tacked around the mark, provided he did not (a) tack too close to 10139 (rule 13), or (b) force 10139 to sail above closehauled to avoid a collision with Richard W. (rule 18.3). But Richard W (10423) would have been more or less where Butch (3951) is above, so there should have been no need to foul anyone. Congrats to Richard and Michele who have come back very nicely after a most unprepossessing start!