This photo is a pretty good testimonial for the CWA Class Camera: a Lumix DMC-FZ7 made by Panasonic. Mary was standing on the cliff, a good half-mile away from the boats here. Pretty impressive, I'd say!! The zoom factor would explain why - no matter how things look here - Sue (4677) is able to cross Jens (7663) without fouling him - Jens of course, being on starboard! Meanwhile, if Len (6732) gets lucky, he'll get lifted up to the mark - it's certainly worth a try here! Note how Len and Steve (5625) are both adhering to the maxim: When in doubt, let it out! - a wise choice in these very light and variable winds.

A big knock for Len (l) here, and he would be wise to tack to the lifted port tack right away, while he's still in some semblance of wind. Not only that, Len doesn't want to reach the mark on port and have to tack inside the Two-Length Zone where, in the upcoming mess, he will risk breaking Rule 18.3.

These next few shots are classic Fanshawe as Mary has captured the vagaries of the wind from up on the cliff. Wayfarers from left to right: Sue, Dave, Jens, Steve. And notice how the leading Lasers - sailing in better breeze - have almost caught the leading Wayfarers after starting five minutes after us.   - for full-size pic, click here

As the mini-puff proceeds down the lake, the five Wayfarer leaders are virtually becalmed: Jens (5th from right) has yet again tacked for the mark and appears to have the lead. This might be as good a time as any for 2nd-place Sue to tack, now that she can lay the mark on starboard, and do so in front of Jens' wind shadow. Instead, Sue ...   - for full-size pic, click here

... holds on too long and is now tacking into Jens' dirt. Len, meanwhile, is a poster boy for the risky approach along the port-tack lay line: Even if Len reaches the Zone before other boats approaching on starboard, the buoy-room rule (18) does not apply between him and any starboard boat(s) except insofar as 18.3 states that if port completes a tack inside the Two-Length Zone, he more or less must not interfere with any starboard boat that comes along, even after the tack is complete! Note how Al (3854), Doug (1366) and John (7351) all still have wind, having wisely tacked to port before sailing into the doldrums to windward, and that all are wisely footing.   - for full-size pic, click here

As the leading Laser, Rick Goldt (formerly W7660), nears the mark (blocked from view by 6732), Jens has just rounded in first place onto a less than exhilarating run back to a mark past the Fanshawe mooring area. Apart from keeping clear of the starboard Rick, Jens' #1 job should be to get his sails eased for a run! Meanwhile, Sue Pilling (blocked from view by 6732) is in the process of rounding 2nd, while Len sits there becalmed. There is no statute of limitations on Rule 18.3 so that once Len (6732) completes a tack to starboard within the Zone, he