Just after the start of Race 2: Just when you think you may have seen it all, something new comes along. No, I don't mean the first beat which is shown above, and which has become a reach and will shortly become a run. Though that is a bit rich, even for Fanshawe! No, I mean that the one-minute signal went with two minutes to go, and the start signal went with one minute to go - something that apparently also happened in race 1 but Dave and I hadn't arrived at the line in time to experience that thrill. Veteran that he is, Al (and most others) decided to "take the committee's word for it" and start after four minutes of a scheduled 5-minute countdown. One notable exception was Jens Biskaborn who was "law-abiding" and will finally decide to go back and re-start about half a minute or so after the freeze-frame above - a bit of a handicap!! Jens could have requested redress and gotten it. He did however, point out the timing error to the RC before race 3, after which we got the correct sequence.
Another start line annoyance that I recall was that one of the cruisers just blithely sailed down our start line on port during the final few pre-start seconds in very light winds. If Dave and I had obeyed Rule 14 about avoiding collisions at all costs, we would never have made it across the line. As it was, we tacked from port into the side of the twit and then I got Dave to go forward and drag our bow past his stern as he sat there like a lump of excrement. As you can tell, this kind of ignorant behaviour upsets me. Needless to say, we didn't get the greatest of starts!
That would not have hurt too much, if the wind had not veered 90° and left us with what looked like it would be a reach to our windward mark at #4. In the photo above, Sue (4677) is taking up right where she left off in race 1 as she holds a precarious lead over John and Tony (7351). Next in the parade are Mike and Kirk (CAN90), Al (3854) and Dwight (4606).  

... Sue (4677) and John (7351) into using the spinnaker. Al (3854) has chosen not to try it, figuring that if the wind returns to being a beat, which it might well do, the spinnaker will lose him more than it might conceivably gain. I seem to recall that we did indeed get a few puffs from in front, enough that we were able to ghost past John and Sue and round #4 with a very slight lead.

... Al (3854), Mike (CAN90) and Doug (blue hull) are still pursuing that elusive wind patch just off their bows. One other consideration is keeping Al on this side of the lake: on a beat in this direction, from #4 to #2, it always seems to pay in the end, to be on the right side as you near the race hut and thereafter. Guys look good on the far side, but eventually, bad things happen to them over there.   - for full-size pic, click here