the 2008 Pumpkin Regatta
Fanshawe YC * London, ON * October 4-5
Race 1.06
photos by Bob Steer, Steve Currie and Paul Chesman
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Course set for race 1: start line (A-B) - 6 - 1 - 6 - 4 - 2 - finish (A-B), buoys to port. Image shows first lap only.
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As the W's get their first beat properly underway, the leading Y is already halfway up his 2nd beat (from #1 to #6).
From this angle, John (2nd from r) and Dwight (4406) are looking very healthy.
- click here for full-sized image
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The white Y (r) has to keep clear of both John (starboard) and Dwight in 4406 (leeward).
Al (to the left of the Y under the cliff) needs to tack very soon in this starboard knock but feels he is blocked by Sue.
- click here for full-sized image
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Nearer to mark 6, we have the Laser parade.
- click here for full-sized image
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Back among the W's: Dwight (4606) and Roger go their separate ways.
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Mike Codd takes the starboard lift, as does ...
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... John de Boer. John may well be pointing lower than Mike
because nearer the shore this wind will blow more parallel to the shore.
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Dave and Kim (4782) seem to be getting that same breeze aligned with the east shore.
Meanwhile Y2546 is still only halfway down his run, well back of the leaders.
Quick! Who has right of way should these two end up on a collision course?
4782. Both boats are on port tack and if both boats are on the same tack, the closehauled boat is then always leeward.
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Further off the shore, Al has a double advantage: the wind is not blocked by a windward shore, nor is it funnelled parallel to the shore which would make Al sail much lower on starboard, were he much closer to shore. Al and ...
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... Len (6732) may in fact well be in that intermediate zone where the wind that is blowing off the shore at an angle tries - for a short distance - to leave the land more at right angles. A fine line has to be trodden here: too near the shore = too little wind (often), too far from shore and you miss the lift.
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It doesn't get much better than this, so that by tacking here, Jens (r) may well ...
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... hitting the crummy end of the "risk/reward" scale here.
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Nonetheless, being a bit nearer to the shore doesn't seem to hurting Roger here!
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Al (3854) has been waiting for a starboard knock to send him towards #6 on a lifted port tack. Alas, nothing doing. And now Al and Len bite the bullet and tack before they get too close to the port lay line where a parade of reaching Lasers may well massacre the wind.
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A nice little gust for Roger (7700) and Jens, as the latter seems to be getting a little port-tack lift?
Judging by the Laser, it appears to be safe to get nearer the shore at this time.
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Lovely lighting on the shore: (l to r) Al, Roger, Len
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Coming in near the starboard lay line we have Sue (4677) and John.
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Invasion and ...
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... Fall foliage
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Mike and Kirk near the eastern shore and the ...
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... starboard lay line where they soon ...
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... have lots of company
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