the 2008 North Bay Wayfarer Weekend
Canadian Nats: race 6.1
photos by Harry Budden & Julia Schonborn
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Frank and Kim get ready for race #6.
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Dave and Carol check in.
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The countdown has begun.
- for full-size pic, click here
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Only a few seconds to go now. Looks like the leeward end is somewhat favoured once more.
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Uncle Al has started at the unfavoured end so that he can be sure of being able to tack quickly to the currently very favoured port tack.
His plan is to gain big when the return shift that favours starboard comes through. Most others seem to agree with this plan.
- for full-size pic, click here
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A minute or two into the race: Port remains favoured, has been further lifted, in fact. The boats who started at the pin end will look to be in super shape right now, having been lifted inside us four (l to r) Dave H, Dave R, Uncle Al, John. If we should ever have to tack before the wind veers back, we would all get "killed" by the left-side boats!!
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Yes indeed, things do look extremely promising for the left-side boats at this time
- note the windward mark, which both Dwight (r) and Sue are virtually laying!!
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Port tack remains obstinately lifted and now we are getting close to the starboard lay line, so we'll have to bite the bullet and ...
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... tack. Uncle Al and Dave (282) have tacked a bit short of the lay line here so that if the return oscillation comes through before they reach the mark, the starboard lift will do them at least some good. Failing that, Dave and I will have to tack twice more - eeek!
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The first reach: In the end, Dave and I did get lifted around the windward mark and now lie 3-2 behind Dwight and Pat.
Only one spinnaker being risked so far: who else but Mark and Paul??!!
- for full-size pic, click here
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And they are closing in fast!!! Dwight still leads, but Dave and Carol have moved past Al and Michele into 2nd. Frank is 5th.
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Again the wind has swung far aft and abated, making the rest of us wish we'd risked the chute, but now we're getting close to the gybe mark and its potential screw-ups, not to mention that if this direction holds, the second reach may well be too close to fly the chute.
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Better late than never: Dwight and Pat hoist their spinnaker without a hitch and are off.
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The gybe mark is at hand: Dwight continues to lead and ...
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... Al has thus far held off the brothers Taylor. And Al has defended the inside (buoy room) position.
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A bit further back, John and Dolores are still holding off the spinnakering Sue and Steph while Trevor and Lori look on.
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A nice, simple spinnaker-less gybe for Al and Michele, and Dave and Carol are about to round 4th. Mark and Paul gybe ...
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... around the outside without incident, and promptly ...
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... set off in pursuit of Dwight and first place.
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As the leaders pass the club, Dwight and Pat are holding on very well.
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Mark has gone through to leeward of Al who is second-guessing his decision to go "white sail".
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A more panoramic view: A spinnaker glitch aboard Eclairelle is kept professionally brief.
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A nice gust for Dwight and Pat who extend their lead while Al's lack of spinnaker holds back not only his boat but Mark's as well.
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In Mark's place, I would be under-amused here.
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While Al and Ken (7380) have their main nicely vanged (boom at 90° to mast),
Taylor and Ryan show us why the vang was thought up in the first place.
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Lying 4-5-6 are Dave Hansman, Frank Goulay and Alastair Ryder-Turner.
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Kim Rainville continues to give the job of jib winging her best.
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Leeward mark close ahead: Dwight and Pat douse in plenty of time. This is a good safety play, considering the risk-reward ratio: big risk for an infinitesimal reward! Here holding the chute to the very last second has minimal gain potential (see how well Al - no chute - has kept up with Mark down this leg, so what are twenty extra spinnaker seconds  likely to gain you??), but there is very real potential for spectacular losses if anything should go wrong in a rushed douse.   - for full-size pic, click here
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Start of the long beat: (l to r) Uncle Al, Frank, Dave H, Alastair with Dave R to leeward, Mark (starboard), John
- for full-size pic, click here
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As (l to r) Taylor, Al N and Andrew finish off their run ...
- for full-size pic, click here
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(l to r) Uncle Al, Alastair and John fellow Mark towards the left side.
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Dave (l) and Rob work their way up a fairly windy second beat.
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The leader, Dwight (l) has taken his time coming left to join his nearest pursuers. Frank has also opted to go left.
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Still heading in the general direction of Burfort Point and the NBYC are (l to r) Alastair Al (3854) and John.
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Alastair and John (r) have tacked back in towards the middle, but ...
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... Dave Hansman (282) will hold starboard a bit longer.
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After a short starboard hitch to clear his air, Mark (l) went right. Here he comes back towards the left and discovers he has lost ground.
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Alastair has moved past Mark into who knows what position - it's very close at the top right here.
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Still very much in the hunt are Dave Richardson (4782) and Rob Wierdsma (7372).
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A substantial port knock soon had (l to r) Alastair, Al and John back on starboard and getting ever closer to the left corner.
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Alastair and Andrew dig back in towards the rhumb line.
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As do Frank and Kim. Meanwhile Dwight and Pat accompany ...
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... Al and Michele into the depths of the left corner. The latter have just gotten another lift instead of the hoped-for knock.
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The good news is that most of the other top boats - like Dave H (282) and Frank - are doing likewise.
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