2000 NAC race 1

As you can see above, Race 1 has winds of about 8-12 knots (from the SSW). The course (for all the races) was a modified triangle-sausage-windward with the Start and Finish in mid-beat. The line was pretty nicely square to the wind. The new 4-minute starting sequence was new to most competitors and some paid the price by getting too far away from the line. A good lesson there for all of us!!!

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They're off! Heider Funck (6) got off to a fine start at the RC boat end, as did John Goldi (1320). 7351 is pretty well doomed here unless one or both of 6 and 1320 screw up! Further to leeward, Peter Rahn (5631) and Stefan Larson (16) appear to be in good shape. Not visible in the picture is Ryan Mahaffey who got the start with good speed at the pin end, with Uncle Al about a length to windward and astern of Ryan. Thus, Uncle Al was perfectly placed to become Ryan's first Wayfarer victim when the Ryan and his crew, Alan Laderoute, did some super hiking and pinched off Uncle Al who finally had to bear off and try to go through to leeward.

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About a minute after the start, most boats holding starboard tack - from left to right: Hazel Hewitt (4107), Randy Park (3613), Keith Haill (46 - aleady outpointing his neighbours and, to judge by the relative mast lengths, outspeeding the as well!), Peter Ayres (1191), Hans Gottschling (938 - also pointing and moving well), and Ivan Pedersen (7350) with an unidentified boat off his bow!

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On the extreme right, Peter Rahn (5631) moves well up the first beat while Ivan Pedersen (7350) bears away for Stefan Larson (I think?). On the extreme left, Kit Wallace in Ab faB appears to have been late for the start, and now sets off in pursuit of 7700, Roger Shepherd.

At the windward mark, it was Ryan Mahaffey in first over Keith Haill and Heider Funck, all of whom had gone left early. In a never quite successful attempt at getting clear air, Uncle Al had let himself be pushed beyond the port layline and was lucky when Roger Shepherd - on starboard - gave the mark such a wide berth that Al was able to tack inside the two-length zone at the mark and pass the mark even with Roger in 4th place.
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To see a larger version of this first-reach parade, click here!
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The second reach: left to right: John Goldi holds off Ivan Pedersen, Peter Rahn and Stefan Larson, while George Blanchard is about to be swallowed by Hans Gottschling, and look out Peter Ayres! John deBoer and Dwight Aplevich are coming to get you!
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Left to right: Stefan Larson and Peter Rahn have passed Ivan to windward while Hans has used a puff to best effect in motoring past George. John deBoer, who went low early, now has a better apparent wind and is trying move past Peter Ayres to leeward. Peter's woes increase as his wind is now being taken by Dwight Aplevich!

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A couple of minutes later, nearing the leeward mark: left to right: While the others were fighting, John Goldi has moved away from this pack past a backdrop that features the Canadian National Exhibition grounds and Ontario Place. Stefan and Peter R. continue to duel for rounding rights while George (and a mostly hidden Hans) have passed Ivan who never really had a chance to recover from losing his wind to Stefan and Peter before the next guys went by! Dwight has moved well to zip past Peter (Ayres) and John (deBoer).

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Against a backdrop of the prettiest parts of the CNE grounds, the second beat begins with the fleet nicely split between port and starboard boats since there was no obviously favoured side to the beat. According to the best evidence obtainable from my 4" x 6" photo and a magnifying glass, we have (from left to right) Stefan and George on port, Keith on stbd, Peter Ayres on port, Ryan on stbd, Dwight on port, Hans on stbd - and in the group near the mark: Ivan on port, John (deBoer) on stbd, Fred Black (?) just rounding, Randy on port, and Peter (Rahn) on starboard.

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About half-way up the second beat - note the boats looking larger as the fleet approaches our photographer ensconced on the RC boat: Heider Funck (6) covers John Goldi (r), Stefan (16) and George (CAN80) while, a bit further back, John deBoer comes across on port tack.
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On the run, the sun put in a brief appearance as the fleet passed the RC boat. From left to right: John Goldi, George, Hans, Ivan and Dwight.
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More run (so to speak) from left to right: Hans, Ivan, Dwight, John (deBoer) and Randy.
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About to get the "gun" in race 1, with their mast dwarfing the CN Tower!, are Uncle Al and Wayfarer Man in front of Heider Funck with Tom Wharton and Ryan Mahaffey with Alan Laderoute (out of the picture, so to speak!). A fine 4th place finish for Keith Haill and Sam Hodder (grey hull off Al stbd quarter). Roger and Carl Shepherd completed a good, sound race in 5th ahead of Stefan Larson with Brody Wight (6th) and Peter and Alex Rahn, the freshly crowned U.S. Nationals champs. Completing the top 10 were John and Dolores deBoer (8th), George Blanchard with Dennis Platt (9th) and Dwight Aplevich with Al Nichols. Also visible in this photo - to the left of Keith, John and Joan Goldi on their way to 11th, and to the right, W7227, Reg Bunt with Frances Almeida.

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Enjoying a mini-lunchbreak after a commendable 9th in race 1 are Dennis Platt (left) and his amazing minder, George Blanchard, aged 86!!!!!!!
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Janusz Czura (left) and John Weakley, ready to leap into action if needed before race 2. What can I say?! If you're a mark and John Weakley's around, you're sure to get laid, and well laid at that!!!