the 2007 Pumpkin Regatta
Fanshawe YC * Sept. 29-30
race pics: Saturday - Race 5.2
 by Carol Hansman
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If Steve (5625) can keep from getting pushed on the wrong side of the mark by Jens (7663) and Len (6732),
he'll be in great shape off this start.    - for full-size pic, click here
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Good news for Steve: Jens has peeled off to go down the line. Al (3854) and Mike (CAN90) meanwhile continue to sit, not wishing to get squeezed out by ...    - for full-size pic, click here
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... Len (6732) at the start mark. Keep an eye on Dwight (l) who is about to blast in at full speed to leeward of Dave (4782) and ...
- for full-size pic, click here
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... Harold. With only a second or two to go, Doug (1366) has tacked under Steve (5625) while ...    - for full-size pic, click here
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... Jens (7663) has for some reason abandoned his very good-looking start by gybing away and is now up the proverbial creek. Now that Len (6732) who had us by the "short and curlies" has bailed out, Mike (CAN90) and Dwight to leeward of him, and Al to leeward of Dwight can at last go full throttle. No such luck for Harold (2304) who may well get pushed on the wrong side of the mark by Dave to leeward of him.    - for full-size pic, click here
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Perhaps two minutes into the race: Rats! Dwight (4606) and Sue (4677) are headed for the usually favoured moorings side, where Al wanted to go, but had been blocked by Dwight.    - for full-size pic, click here
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Al (3854) has tacked to follow Sue and Dwight but has just hit a big knock. So, he will tack again - under Dwight who will have Al trapped for the next while until Al can - he hopes - backwind Dwight and pull away. After their great start, Doug (1366) and Steve (5625) have tacked and will again demonstrate that it pays to go right, over towards the moorings. While Sue (4677) and Dwight (4606) will continue to enjoy a fine starboard lift and excellent pressure, Steve and Doug will soon hit the corresponding port-tack knock, and ...      for full-size pic, click here
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... fall well behind, just like that!! Doug (1366) will now wisely sail well into his knock before he tacks back.
At left, Laser series leader, Steve Carroll, is watching the Wayfarers to see where it will pay to go on the first beat.
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John (2nd from left) has let himself get trapped by Mike (l) who is evidently determined to keep going left. Steve (3rd from left) has a decision to make if he can't clear Jens (7663): already being very close to the port lay line, he's probably wise not to tack here, even if that means bearing away for Jens. Doug (1366) has tacked back to the favoured starboard tack, though he might have been better off to stick with port a while longer to get to the inside of the starboard lift that Al and Sue (r) are getting now. Al, meanwhile, has pinched off Dwight (4606) who has, however, picked a fine lane for his little port-tack adventure!! Al now has to really pinch to get himself untrapped from Sue before they both hit the port lay line.    - for full-size pic, click here
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Fast forward to the "run" from Pumpkin to #4. Here, the leaders are about to pass the race hut with Al (red spi) leading Sue (r).
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We're a pretty, if somewhat confusing, sight, which becomes ...    - for full-size pic, click here
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... clearer a few minutes later: (l to r) Al, Sue, Jens, Doug, Dwight, John. Right about here, Al and Dave are about to douse good and early, to avoid undue risk of a foul-up while ...    - for full-size pic, click here
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... they round #4. Coming up this way, the fleet has been sailing a spinnaker reach with the wind just aft of the beam. Therefore, the trip back to the Pumpkin mark should be a close reach for the foreseeable future, and Dave and Al plan to tack almost ...
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... immediately. They will, however, keep a wary eye on Sue (l) who is a clear 2nd and needs to be defended against.
- for full-size pic, click here
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If Sue continues to hold port tack, against all conventional wisdom ...    - for full-size pic, click here
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... Al will tack across to stay directly between Sue and the next mark which is the finish. Meanwhile, Dwight (orange and white spi) has pulled almost even with Jens for 3rd, and John has moved through to leeward of the spinnaker-less Doug. Mike and Kirk (r) have been moving well, and will be well placed to make some gains on the next leg, provided it has not become a close-reach parade!!
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Relief aboard SHADES: Sue (4677) has tacked at last and is in fact - take my word for it - pointing lower than we are.
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An exciting rounding coming up between Jens (7663) and Dwight (4606).
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Here, Dwight has wisely slowed down so as not to be trapped outside of ...
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... Jens after both boats round.
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Looks like Doug (1366) will have rights to room when he and John reach #4, where ...
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... Dwight has nicely left himself astern of Jens. Thus, Dwight can now tack if he wishes to do so. Unfortunately for Dwight, Sue (4677) is there to complicate the issue: Is she far enough away that her wind shadow will not be a serious concern?
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Apparently she is: Dwight tacks to get away from Jens, as Doug prepares to round inside of John. If John (7351) is really eager to tack to starboard onto what may be mostly a close reach and fetch to the next mark, he should by now have positioned himself a foot or two off Doug's transom where he will have freedom to tack, something he ...    - for full-size pic, click here
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... will not have the way he's rounding here. If, heaven forfend, Doug should decide to hold port here, John will have to go with him, slow down, or gybe away. It costs a lot less to drop just slightly astern before the mark and then round at full speed.
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