the North
Bay
Wayfarer Weekend 2006 Don Rumble Memorial - races 3 & 4 photos by Gillian Danby |
A shift just before
the
start of race 3 saw the line become almost uncrossable
on starboard, and John (7351) is about to get the start on port tack at the pin end. ... |
But since this shift
has
made the first beat a virtual port-tack fetch, this leg
has become a "foot race" among John (7351), Dave (282), Al (3854) and Tony (4105) ... |
Eventually the
wind
occasionally veered back towards its old direction
which favoured the
leeward boats on port and Al managed to beat John
around the windward
mark. Al's crew, Michele, now has to make sure her mom
(7351) does not
out-spinnaker her. Lori and Jason meanwhile approach
the windward mark
on the port lay line.
... |
Michele does an
excellent
job of keeping the spinnaker flying in minimal breeze, while Al helps by heeling the boat to windward and holding the boom out. ... |
After being truly
buried at
the start, Dwight and Pat came back very well to grab
2nd place from ... ... |
... John and Dolores. ... |
Al and Michele take
the
first-place beep ahead of the on-rushing Apleviches (l). ... |
A little break ... ... |
... between ... ... |
... races. ... |
The last few seconds
of the
countdown to the start of what would prove to be the
final race of the
series. ... |
The wind has again
backed
and Al (r) is well positioned to ... ... |
... tack and cross the
fleet as the gun goes. ... |
Dwight (4606) wisely
tacks
as well while he can still do so and keep clear air.
With the windward
mark more or less layable on port, Al will now sail for speed and try to "bury" his main threat, Dwight. ... |
Pretty well
everyone
has seen the light (the windward mark??!!) and tacked
to port since
every second spent on starboard here is wasted
distance and time,
because
the mark is now a fetch on port tack. Poor Andrew is
in a no-win spot
here. He should have tacked "two pictures ago" when he
still had the
chance at clear air. Now he can hold starboard and go
for clear air but
waste distance, or tack to port and eat dirt. This is
a classic
situation where it really paid to plan ahead. On our
boat, Michele and
I agreed that we had to get onto port at the first
possible opportunity
and that all else was secondary.
...
|