the
2004
Wayfarer
North Americans Sunday pics: race 4, attempt #1 photos by Nick Seraphinoff |
Just like last
year,
the Sunday morning was warm and started virtually
windless. Roger and Joanne wait for wind and relax. ... |
Nick
Seraphinoff and
Jennifer Princing have switched places today: Jennifer
is helming a
Wayfarer (864) for the first time - in the light winds
which are her
forte, while Nick is helming the CWA camera. Note the
stretch marks on
the luff of the main: Mike Mac would not be pleased!
... |
A slight onshore
breeze struggles to make an appearance, and our eager RC
decides it's a
... ... |
... go! Clear air
is
all relative, one supposes. ... |
It's
not easy to
develop steerage way in this stuff. Hard to see from
this angle are Al
and Frank (dark hull to windward of Bob Frick in 3975)
who have decided
to start near the RC boat at all costs since there
seems to them to be
more wind on the right.
... |
It still doesn't
look
too promising for Al (to windward of Geoff in 9483) but
this photo
can't show the important fact that ... ... |
... Al is
actually
moving - above he is passing Geoff (9483) and Mark. The American light-air wizard, Bob Frick (l), is also moving out nicely, but ... ... |
... not for long,
as
the boats on the right - Al (3854 with sails well
eased), Mark, John (7351) and Geoff (9483) are now moving past Bob (r). ... |
Al (l) is
actually making a bit of a wake as he foots off to
confirm his lead by
getting between the fleet and the windward mark. A slight heel helps the sails keep their shape here. ... |
Brian (2nd
from
left) and Jennifer (r) are moving out
nicely here. ... |
Near
the windward
mark: Al has defended the right side and now continues
to do so by
having tacked with Mark (7673) and Mike (4271). Note
how Al has yet to
sit down after his roll tack and how he is footing to
make sure his bow
stays in front of Mark's.
... |
Al and Frank have
tacked for the mark and are doing the right thing:
footing to get/keep
their speed up even though this may well mean they won't
lay the mark
on this tack, unless ... ... |
... they get
lucky
with a bit of wind that also lifts them ... ... |
... around the
mark. ... |
A large veer
(clockwise shift in the wind direction) has made the run
a port-tack
reach for Al and forces Mark to come in to the mark on a heavily knocked port tack. ... |
Mark and Paul
will
round a comfortable 2nd - insofar as anyone can
be comfortable
in this stuff! ... |
The fight over
3rd
remains messy: (l to r) Bob (3975) and Geoff on
port with Mike
to leeward of them, John (staying on the big starboard
circle), Roger ... |
It looks
unpromising
for the severely knocked Brian (9235) and John (7351) but Geoff (9483) off their bow seems to have a lift, so there's some hope. ... |
Indeed,
Brian has kept
his boat moving better than the others around him and
will round 3rd
with a bit of a roll tack. All for nought, of course.
Halfway down the
leg, Al ran into calm and then a headwind, which
shrank his lead at the
"leeward" mark to a mere 50 yards over Mark. At this
point the RC
wisely abandoned the race.
.. |
next
photos page 2004 index NAC nostalgia index |