the 2008 Pumpkin Regatta
Fanshawe YC * London, ON * October 4-5
Race 3.03
photos by Bob Steer, Steve Currie and Paul Chesman
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Steve and Randy look for better pressure under the cliff on their second beat.
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The Wayfarer run begins. As Jeff (7220) nears #6, Al has ...
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... decided to gybe to port and hug the east shore, at least for the moment. Not entirely sure what the rhumb line
to the leeward (Pumpkin) mark is, he will sail to stay generally between 2nd-place ...
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... Sue (4677) and the next mark. Race 2 winner, Jens, rounds 3rd, ahead of Mike Codd.
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No sign of shore-line funnelling, and what with Sue having begun her run on starboard and angling towards mid-lake,
Al makes especially sure that he runs down with each and every puff.
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As Len finishes his beat, Al has a decision to make here: He should go up in this lull but that would move him perhaps too close to the shore, not to mention further from Sue who is going up the middle of Fanshawe Lake. A gybe would solve this problem, because then Al would get closer to Sue while going up in those lulls! So, Julia, let's gybe. No, cancel that last order. Here is a ...
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... nice, knocked gust that is letting us sail towards the middle even on port. Meanwhile, Jamie and Gilbert (2667) have recovered from their capsize without ill effects. And dare I hope that this time, the photographer did capture Kevin (yellow hull) still clinging to the narrowest of leads over brother, Brad?
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A nice ride for Pat and Dwight near the Hut, but 1-2 still belong to ...
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... Al and Sue (4677). Great minds think alike: both leaders gybe to starboard in response to one of the moorings area's many shifts. But note how Al is helping SHADES by flying the chute while Julia wrestles with the pole, not to mention that Al, thinking ahead to buoy room, continues to defend the left. Sue Goldt, meanwhile, has just begun her second beat with a healthy lead among the Radials.
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Traffic jam in front of the Hut: (l to r) Steve, Roger (7700) and John (7351) who has caught up nicely on this run. Who had the right of way when Steve (175246) and Roger (7700) were converging?  Steve, you say? Why? Indeed, both boats were on the same tack (port) in which case, "close-hauled over running free", the rule we learned at Junior Club in the 50's, does indeed apply, the closehauled boat being leeward!!
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More close action under the cliff where Roger (7700) ...
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... is about to move out with a puff of his very own!!
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A close battle over Wayfarer first, with Al (3854) being challenged not only by Sue, but also by ...
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... Jens. Remembering his debacle the last time he was down here (near the end of Race 2), Al has invited Julia to douse in plenty of time, something he feels he can afford, since he actually has a far better line to the mark than Sue does.
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As Jeff and Vera move into the picture, Al reaches the mark and Julia ducks in anticipation of the gybe.
Aboard Mystic (4677), Steph will be a busy lad with the spinny still mostly up and a gybe imminent .
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His plea for Julia to haul the main in for him like Marc does, having fallen on unreceptive ears, Al rounds onto the beat with less ...
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... style than he likes. The one-armed paperhanger springs to mind! Sue and Steph have done a lovely rush job on their spi douse/gybe combination and will round a very close 2nd with a modest lead over 3rd-place Jens.
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Not unexpectedly, Sue almost immediately ...
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... tacks to clear her air. And Jens is already around while Dwight (4606) has turned this into a four-boat race.
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As soon as John (7351) and Mike have gone by, Al (3854) will tack to stay between his pursuers and the next mark - never mind the fact that port is in a beautifully lifted phase right now. Al remembers all too well that in Race 2, it paid to go left early on this beat!!
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Roger (7700), Dave (4782) and Jeff battle it out near the leeward mark.
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A lousy starboard tack angle for Al here but he will tack as soon as he's off Sue's bow which will put him between Sue and the next mark. Sue is then nearly certain to tack and Al will ...
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... follow suit to stay properly positioned in relation to ...
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... Sue and the next mark. As can be inferred from the absence of boats crossing behind Sue (and Al) here, Jens and Dwight, the other current main threats, have also gone left, a distinct consolation to ...
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... Al who is sailing a really lousy starboard angle here. Were it not for the competition going left, Al would long since have tacked!!
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At last, Julia has just given the long awaited "Sue's tacked!" so that we can, at last, tack to ...
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... the favoured tack - one that ...
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... as you can see, we embrace with some enthusiasm!!
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