2004 Wayfarer Ontarios
Race 2 - part 2
photos by Stuart Pursey


It's close race among these four: (l to r) Al, Peter, Mark and Mike Codd currently helming RED TOP.
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Nearing the mark, Al (l) remains in control of Mark (7673) and Peter (r).
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They cross the first of the "right side" boats that they meet, Doug Netherton (1366) who appears to have gained by going right. Oh, oh! Bill Fyfe, living dangerously as he tends to do, has gone way right. Are still ahead of him??!!
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Here - 2nd from right - comes Bill now! As I recall, Bill edged us (3854) out to get around first but we gybed to the favoured port tack first and ...
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... took the lead back.
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Already now, Al and Marc (3854) have decided to defend the left side and buoy room at the leeward mark at virtually all costs, since he who rounds first is very likely to win, what with the final beat to the finish being so short.
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The battle for 3rd is very close, also. Peter Rahn has gybed back to starboard
and Mark Taylor (7673) will have to keep clear.
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(l to r) Dave Hansman, Andrew Gumley, Alan Asselstine, John de Boer, Brian Mills, George Blanchard
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Every time Bill and Brian fell astern a bit, Al watched carefully to any move to pass to windward. This is one of the rare situations that Al is willing to luff, when he's fighting to keep inside at the mark and the finish is not far away. In this situation, Al is wise to luff decisively before Bill gets an overlap, since Rule 16 will limit Al severely once Bill is alongside.
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Ironically, this is a much more comfortable position for Al: Overlapped to leeward, Bill is not able to try to get past to windward unless he can luff up without hitting Al. Al still has to keep clear of leeward Bill but the latter must sail no higher than proper course since he has established his overlap from clear astern within two lengths of Al.
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Now, in fact, Al has Bill just where he wants him - trapped to leeward!
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Aha! Another country heard from: John (7351) has very definitely joined the fight over 3rd. The other two are a classic example of a rules situation that confuses many. How often have we heard the call: "Overtaking boat keep clear!" That may be a marine Rule of the Road, but in the Racing Rules of Sailing, it only applies to boats which are on the same tack. Here, Mark (7673) is on port, and must keep clear of Peter following on starboard.
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John and Dolores (7351) are bringing a nice little puff from astern and getting closer
to the race leaders, Al (3854) and Bill, who continue to fight tooth and nail ...
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... with Al countering every move Bill makes to try and pass to windward. Mark (7673) is showing more nerve here than I would, as he continues to sit on port right off the starboard Peter's bow. In his shoes, I would chicken out and luff up a bit, knowing Peter can't follow without gybing.
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Doug and John study their spinnaker to try and see why Dave and Charles (282) seem to be going faster.
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But soon, Dave (282) discovers problems of his own. Unless he gybes, Dave has no hope of getting through Alan's wind shadow. The good news is that Dave has lots of room to gybe (provided his boom does not hit Alan's!) and Dave will be on starboard and with right of way after he gybes.
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Checking out the action from the RC boat as the fleet rounds the leeward mark
and starts the short beat back to the RC boat and the finish line.
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In the end, it was Uncle Al (off Bill's bow above) crossing the line just a length or two ahead of Bill. It turned out that all of Bill's and Al's duelling had been for nothing, since Al had been OCS and got no finish beep. Thus Bill Fyfe and Brian Egan were the race 2 winners with Peter Rahn edging out Mark Taylor for 2nd. An amazing 4th for Alan Asselstine who must have passed half a dozen boats in the late going to take 4th ahead of John de Boer (l).
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2004 Wayfarer Ontarios
index
results
report
shore pics & awards
Race 1
Race 2 - 1
Race 2 - 2
Race 3 - 1
Race 3 - 2
Race 4
Race 5
Race 6
Race 7  - 1
Race 7  - 2
Race 7  - 3


Ontarios 1999-2003