the 2008 Pumpkin Regatta
Fanshawe YC * London, ON * October 4-5
Race 2.03
photos by Bob Steer, Steve Currie and Paul Chesman
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Rick (l) and Brad head for the east shore while ...
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... the others stick to the Race Hut cliff on the west side.
In the end, it'll come down to who makes northward distance towards #6 the fastest.
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Meanwhile, the Wayfarers patiently await the start of their sequence.
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Kim and Dave cruise ...
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... up and down the line, wisely making sure they don't get too far away from it.
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Sue and Steph get into race mode.
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Perhaps two minutes to the W start: As we begin to consider getting into position to "sit", Roger (7700) ...
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... works into a position from which he'll be able to join the line-up.
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The wind direction looks pretty square to our start line at this moment.
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Team Mystic: Sue and Steph
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Al and Julia gybe to ...
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... go back ...
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... up the line.
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The final minute of the countdown ...
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... has begun.
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At the gun: I believe that this is the race where Sue and Steph (4677) thought they might have been over early and so ...
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... went around the end to re-start. A real mess at the leeward end: Mike Codd squeezes past the mark without touching it but ...
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... has lost a lot of speed and now bears away to stay out of wind shadows. Al (3854) and Jens (7663) have fine starts, as do Jeff Eames (7220) and Dave Richardson (4782) to windward of Al. The latter is footing off for speed while Jens tries to pinch him off. If Jens becomes in danger of being buried, he will need to foot off which will give him valuable speed and separation.
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The stampede for clear air begins: Dwight (4606) and Roger (7700)
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Nerves of steel as Jens hangs in and ultimately ...
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... buries Al in his backwind. In this great starboard lift, Al has only three useful options: put in a short tack to port and tack back to starboard as soon as he has clear air, follow Jens and hope for a speedy shift or for Jens to tack, or, thirdly, to foot off and try to sail through to leeward of Jens. The latter, however, can be quickly ruled out since ...
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... Al would then have to go to leeward of Mike as well!
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Decision made, Al tacks while he can still safely cross ...
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... Dave Richardson.
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