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.
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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)
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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.
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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.
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After being truly buried at the start, Dwight and Pat came back very well to grab 2nd place from ...
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... John and Dolores.
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Al and Michele take the first-place beep ahead of the on-rushing Apleviches (l).
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A little break ...
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... between ...
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... races.
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The last few seconds of the countdown to the start of what would prove to be the final race of the series.
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The wind has again backed and Al (r) is well positioned to ...
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... tack and cross the fleet as the gun goes.
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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.
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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.
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2006 North Bay Wayfarer Weekend