2004 NAC pics: race 4, attempt 1

the 2004 Wayfarer North Americans
Sunday pics: race 4, attempt #1
photos by Nick Seraphinoff

Just like last year, the Sunday morning was warm and started virtually windless.
Roger and Joanne wait for wind and relax.
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Nick Seraphinoff and Jennifer Princing have switched places today: Jennifer is helming a Wayfarer (864) for the first time - in the light winds which are her forte, while Nick is helming the CWA camera. Note the stretch marks on the luff of the main: Mike Mac would not be pleased!
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A slight onshore breeze struggles to make an appearance, and our eager RC decides it's a ...
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... go! Clear air is all relative, one supposes.
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It's not easy to develop steerage way in this stuff. Hard to see from this angle are Al and Frank (dark hull to windward of Bob Frick in 3975) who have decided to start near the RC boat at all costs since there seems to them to be more wind on the right.
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It still doesn't look too promising for Al (to windward of Geoff in 9483) but this photo can't show the important fact that ...
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... Al is actually moving - above he is passing Geoff (9483) and Mark.
The American light-air wizard, Bob Frick (l), is also moving out nicely, but ...
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... not for long, as the boats on the right - Al (3854 with sails well eased),
Mark, John (7351) and Geoff (9483) are now moving past Bob (r).
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Al (l) is actually making a bit of a wake as he foots off to confirm his lead by getting
between the fleet and the windward mark. A slight heel helps the sails keep their shape here.
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Brian (2nd from left) and Jennifer (r) are moving out nicely here.
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Near the windward mark: Al has defended the right side and now continues to do so by having tacked with Mark (7673) and Mike (4271). Note how Al has yet to sit down after his roll tack and how he is footing to make sure his bow stays in front of Mark's.
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Al and Frank have tacked for the mark and are doing the right thing: footing to get/keep their speed up even though this may well mean they won't lay the mark on this tack, unless ...
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... they get lucky with a bit of wind that also lifts them ...
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... around the mark.
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A large veer (clockwise shift in the wind direction) has made the run a port-tack reach for Al
and forces Mark to come in to the mark on a heavily knocked port tack.
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Mark and Paul will round a comfortable 2nd - insofar as anyone can be comfortable in this stuff!
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The fight over 3rd remains messy: (l to r) Bob (3975) and Geoff on port with Mike to leeward of them, John (staying on the big starboard circle), Roger
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It looks unpromising for the severely knocked Brian (9235) and John (7351)
but Geoff (9483) off their bow seems to have a lift, so there's some hope.
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Indeed, Brian has kept his boat moving better than the others around him and will round 3rd with a bit of a roll tack. All for nought, of course. Halfway down the leg, Al ran into calm and then a headwind, which shrank his lead at the "leeward" mark to a mere 50 yards over Mark. At this point the RC wisely abandoned the race.

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