the Wayfarer Ontarios
Lac Deschênes Sailing Club * July 28-29, 2007
Saturday race 1.5
pics by Doug Netherton and Tom Douma
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Tony (4105) has recovered nicely on this beat, moving past the speedy Sue (l) among others.
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Boats two through nine are still very close:
(l to r) Dave, Bill (yellow hull), John, Colin, Tony, Sue, Andrew, Al (who has the chute up and almost drawing properly)
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Note how Frank (648) also heels his boat to assist the turn. At right, the SHADES chute is set, and we are ready to roll!
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Bill has overdone his turn and now has to make sure he stays clear of Andrew Gumley (4610)
just now approaching the mark on starboard after an ill-fated jaunt to the far left side of the beat.
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Ditto for Jamie and Ben who will still need a short hitch on port before they can lay the mark.
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The tack is complicated by a sudden puff, one good reason not to tack with your main cleated!!
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The "run": (l to r) Dave, Tony, Sue, Al
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Going up in the lulls and down with the puffs has allowed Al to pull away from the boats who had rounded close astern, but ...
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... John and Dolores remain out of reach, having sailed equally well! They will win race 1, while Al will be happy enough having rescued a 2nd from what could have been a disaster.
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A pretty smile and a wave for the photographer from Janet Foster aboard one of the safety boats.
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Just what Frank and Kim need after their second-beat wipe-out: a few dead spots on the downwind leg!!
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Andrew and Steve (4610) close in on Bill and Deirdre.
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Alas, it's been all downhill for Lori and Jason after their ace start.
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In the distance - and in this case, considerably closer - we could see the action of the Britannia Yacht Club’s National Capital Regatta, a huge multi-class extravaganza, where in 1959, your Uncle Al made his out-of-town sailing debut as a crew on Lightning 7100. I vividly recall several things from that memorable first trip out of town:
  • sleeping upstairs in someone's riverside cottage and waking up to that beautiful river water smell through the open window beside my bed
  • my skipper, Alf Dutton, admonishing me: "You just watch that spinnaker. I will keep you posted on how we are doing in the race!"
  • George Blanchard playing the piano in the upstairs bar, with people crowded a dozen deep around him, singing along
  • George and Tom Johannsen (W649) strolling the BYC gardens on Sunday morning, holding a pair of jeans upside down between them - which puzzled me until I saw George lift his (pant) leg to his mouth and have a sip of beer - Ottawa was "dry" on Sundays in those days!
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No wonder Sue is smiling: she and Steph have just come back to grab 3rd in the first race.
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Tony (4105) is doubtless smiling, being about to rescue a 4th, while Andrew and Colleen (9657) will take a close 5th ahead of ...
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... Colin and Heather.
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